The Highest Bidder
by WerewolfObsession
Summary: A powerful telekinetic is on trial for treason against the four Nations during the 100-year war. She gives her account during her quest to assist Zuko, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph in order to explain why she committed her so-called crimes. Zuko x OC. Sequel: Highest Bidder II
1. Odd One Out

A/N: _Do you know how hard it is to try to make a story in a different genre other than _"Harry Potter" and _"__Batman_"? _It really is. Here's my first story for _"Avatar: Last Airbender_". Since I'm already writing an _A/N_, I would like to inform the reader that in my stories, I often pair my _OC_ with one key character (_the one person she'll end up loving)_ and several others, because nobody is attracted to _one_ person in a long journey like _"Avatar: Last Airbender_". I mean, really. Fans of Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, Zuko, Iroh, the Aang Gang, and whomever else you love in the series, you all will be pleased with this story, as it will possibly feature every person in the franchise. Enough chatter, enjoy the first chapter of "_The Highest Bidder".

The Highest Bidder

Chapter One: Odd One Out

As a young woman once told the legendary tale of Avatar Aang, a second tale coincided in the journeys of the young heroes who saved three out of the four nations from a tyrannical leader of the Fire Nation. Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko intended to keep their promise to their newfound ally, Mura, who proved to be a dependable friend when the world needed her the most. It was on behalf of Katara that Fire Lord Zuko informed the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, and the Northern and Southern Water Tribes that they had had a helping hand from the least likely of their former mates.

Mura's reputation was admirable and repulsive, and it wasn't for the lack of trying that she turned out to be an all right person in the end. She was very different from the rest, but her mind and loyalties were not unlike those of a common thief.

Mura had been very helpful in the war because of her special talent, an ability to move objects with her mind. Mura was a telekinetic, though her powers belonged to her free will and moral values. Often, during her journey from the opposite sides of the imperial war, Mura's mind would stall her ability: if Mura believed that it was wrong to destroy somebody's harm then nothing that she tried to do would work since it was her telekinesis that depended on her thought waves. Her loyalties were scattered in the air often, and nobody really knew whose side she was on until she decided at last minute.

During the war, it was a repeated assumption that Mura's loyalties belong to that of Princess Azula, for Azula demonstrated strong acts of control, power, and a sense of ambition: all three qualities that Mura admired. And on the other hand, Mura found Azula to be appalling, and when the Avatar persuaded her that Azula was not to be trusted, she took Aang's side, and fought for him.

However, despite all of her acts and the people she formally betrayed, it all came down to the bottom line that when she realized that her friend, Azula, lost her mind after Zuko and Katara confronted her, the highest bidder was Aang, for he knew right and wrong.

However, the means cannot always be justified by the end results.

On the stand, for charges of treason committed against the four nations, Mura is ordered to tell her side of the entire journey that led to the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. If she is proven justifiable for the acts that she committed then she will be pardoned, and she will be recognized as one of the heroes. If the four nations convict her of criminal activity then she will be put to death.

After all, in the end, Mura's loyalties belonged to the highest bidder.


	2. With a Will

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Two: With a Will

I once was told by a wise old man, who specialized in the Divination Arts, such as fortune-telling, tarot cards, palm-reading, astrology signs, and everything else that could be categorized into that sort of phenomenon. One of the few concepts that he believed was that the meaning of a name had an impact on the behavior and the nature of an infant; and from the moment that the umbilical cord was cut, the name would take effect into the skills of the child. One circumstance that he gave me, purely hypothetical, was that if a child was named Areli (courageous, virtuous, and beautiful) then the child would grow up to be a champion of the nation, hold true to her beliefs, and of course, be quite easy on the eyes.

When the old man deciphered my name, he instantly believed that I was a convict. And, to be quite honest, he wasn't too far from the truth.

Mura: Any variation leading to unbalanced situations; Mura exists when workflow is out of balance and workload is inconsistent and not incompliance with the standard.

My name is Mura Lynn, and I am charged with treason, espionage, and obstruction of justice; and I am also a suspect in several homicide cases. Because I cannot shortly explain why these charges should be pardoned, I was ordered by the court of law and the standard judicial branch to write down the events that took place from the very start of where my journey began. Incidentally, my journey starts with a young man who was sent on a fool's quest in search of an Avatar who had been missing for one-hundred years, the former Fire Lord Ozai's Prince Zuko—who, by the way, is now the Fire Lord over his beloved nation.

Although my late actions have helped Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko reclaim their rights as King and the balanced force of the four nations, my actions in the past have given the law and order some question of where my loyalties lie. This is understandable on my part because, honestly, I'm not sure where they lie either.

Let me clarify one thing before I begin my defense, and I want this absolutely understood:

I liked each person that I allied, and—quite ironically—I liked the people that I formally betrayed. Each Firebender that I assisted had the passion that I admired in a fighter; each Earthbender accompanied a firm stand that I always looked upon with similar awe. Each Waterbender that I met showed incorruptible love for their families and loved ones; and I admire Avatar Aang for his Airbending abilities and overall understanding of what it means to understand both sides of an argument.

The war that I participated in—on both sides—was a simple thing that I enjoyed, merely because it helped me get what I wanted out of life. Distractions make it very simple to take invaluable jewels from a safety box; and it lessens the heavy security for when I sprung a helpless man from jail, sparing him a death penalty that he was sentenced for a crime that he did not commit.

I am the sole underbelly of law and order. I am neither right, nor am I wrong. However, it is not I who judges the right and wrongs of this world; and even if I'm freed from my cell or if I am put to death for my so-called crimes, I know that I was a willing participant of the war, and I know that I made justice happen when it could not be demonstrated by higher beings than me.

So, if you can bear with me for a longer, detailed story—full of dialogue, explicit detail, and even a meaningful recollection of my thoughts and feelings—perhaps I can explain to the jury and to my peers _why_ I did what I did.

The reason why I am the odd one out in these circumstances is because I am not a bender; by this, I define 'bender' by having the ability to control the elements, which of course are water, earth, fire and air. I am a telekinetic; I move objects—or people—with brain waves, and it can be helped by using my limbs or by a nod of the head. These actions correspond to my thoughts, and it makes it easier on my mind to devoid it of hard concentration.

By this line of story-telling, I want the audience to know that because I am a telekinetic, it was an often occurrence in my life that it frightened quite a few people, and I think it still does. It's a peculiar ability. I haven't met a single person who can do what I've done; and when I write this, I do not mean for it so sound boastful. Telekinesis, like bending, is not an easy ability to master. It takes practice.

So to let the audience understand that I am not a sorceress who isn't bound my limitation, I would like to take the opportunity to give a quick explanation of what I can do with my powers, though I won't go into full detail of _why_ I would use them.

First of all, free will is a basic factor in telekinesis. Like a person who is bound to a conscience, my powers cannot be fully performed if I doubt that the target (or victim) is innocent and doesn't deserve a so-called punishment. For example, if someone ordered me to vandalize a man's family heirloom, I would personally be unable to do it because my thoughts react negatively upon my actions. Therefore, the act is ineffective.

Along with free will, concentration is a major factor in my performance. Easily said, it is quite difficult to levitate an entire ship if a man is trying to stab me in the heart with a knife. Anybody could see why I wouldn't be fully concerned about the sinking 'Titanic' if I was being assaulted by a crazy, homeless man.

So, with that, I can describe my so-called 'weaknesses'.

As assumed by outsiders, I have the ability to levitate objects in the air; by levitate, I define it as being able to make a pitcher of water hover in the air a few inches off the table; as opposed to hoisting a castle clear off its foundation and pitching it into the ocean.

I also have the ability of what is called 'telekinesis maneuver'. It's often associated with a flick of a finger or a simple head nod; it's more or less like when dice fall onto the table, I could nod my head to the side, and a face of the selected die would move accordingly. This example is outright cheating (and it's a way to make quick cash).

Telekinetic grip is an ability that can be used when a friend of mine is buried head deep in the sand, and I keep the tide from swallowing his face. Ah, and here's a little fact for the benders who are hearing (or reading) this story.

Benders quite easily hold fast to their elements: Earthbenders can bend sand; Waterbenders can bend snow or rain, and it goes on. I am a telekinetic, and my mind has to focus on every drop of water of that rain, or each grain of sand in the desert. It takes a lot of mind power to hold still an ocean, which is very difficult to do—I tried. In order to so-called 'bend' water or sand, I have to remain in full physical contact; this would mean that in order to stop the tide from drowning my friend, I'll be in the water with him. Stepping out of a bay would make me lose all control, thus drowning said companion.

I am capable of the well-known push and pull, which is like yanking a book off a shelf or sliding a cup across the table. I am also capable of the compression and destruction of an object: crushing a metal chair into a steel ball or exploding a table all together. Exploding a table, of course, would be concentrating on each molecule inside the frame and bursting the object in result.

The last thing that I can do is the sixth sense of a telekinetic, which is called Spatial Sense. This refers to the ability of what benders and non-benders recognize as telepathy, and younger generations will understand it as the act of mind-reading. Spatial Sense gives me the awareness of a body or bodies that are located around me, whether they're hiding or not. However, this ability deafens the sharp wit to know whether the body is a beast or if it is human. I can sense if someone is close by in a matter of only within a few feet of me. Ah and here's another thing: Spatial Sense gives me insight into a person's brain waves. Naturally, I can't actually understand thoughts (and I don't want to) because it's an invasion of privacy, and I personally don't practice it. However, Spatial Sense makes me a walking lie detector. There's a limitation to that too: if a person is especially strong-willed or perhaps too naïve or ignorant, I can't read their mind.

As many of you have probably heard, Azula was quite the liar; she was also very strong-minded and aggressive. Although she could lie to me, it would be very hard to detect it because her thoughts would be reading that her lie was actually the truth.

Those are just a few things that I am able to do, and with that, here come my limitations.

One of my weaknesses is that I can only move objects that I can see. By this line of reasoning, I can push open a door, or blow it up; but the odds of me being able to go inside the lock and turn the gears are highly unlikely. I can't see the inner mechanisms, so it's quite improbable that I will be able to move it at all.

Compression of an object, or destroying it all completely, requires mutilating the object in its original form. This takes more concentration in order to manipulate the molecules, and also, it's quite time-sensitive. To put it in a blunt example: it's a lot easier to throw a metal bar at a guard than to try to mold it into a silver bullet.

Telekinesis is mind-over-matter, so it is not surprising when I explain that a long period of using my powers without any break gives me a mind-numbing migraine afterwards. It's quite painful and requires medical attention. And I assure you that I would be irreparably useless in a time of need if something would happen during recovery. Honestly, would you want to fight the day with a throbbing pain in the back of _your_ head?

I can move physical objects, but I've learned that I can't levitate, explode, destroy, or manipulate items that have magical properties. This includes benders. Talismans, amulets, magic jewels, crystal balls, wands, alchemy products, or books including sorcery tips are off the list.

Lastly, my mental stability impacts my powers. Depression and rage can undermine or overdo my intentions: I can either do too much to the point of destruction or do so less that I've absolutely useless in a paper ball fight. Oh, and one thing to note: mental instability, such as the state that Azula currently resides, can terminate my telekinesis infinitely. I think the last bit is a gift from the Gods, so that if I were to lose my mind, the world wouldn't suffer for my indiscretions.

Well, now that I've no doubt given the entire world every way on how to make me vulnerable, I shall start the start of my journey in Chapter Three.


	3. Flash from the Past

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Three: Flash from the Past

I mentioned several times in before about Azula, and made references to her; there a few reasons why I alluded to the Princess of the Fire Nation. It goes without saying that I admired—and still admire—her power and her skills in combat, and—when she was sane of mind and body—she was quite a strategist and tracker. Azula is a masterful Firebender, but in no way was she ever a very nice woman. Although she was what many would call 'pleasant' to me, I usually assumed that the reason why she associated with me _was_ because I was a telekinetic. With Azula, it was always about power and control; even when it came to family, Azula showed true signs of empathy, love, and compassion with only her father, formerly known as Fire Lord Ozai.

I know Azula not from basic interactions with her from our several meetings. I know her, and present Fire Lord Zuko and even the rough-around-the-edges late Commander Zhao because, when I was seventeen, I was considered 'royalty'.

To explain this further, it would be easier to compare my family to those that belonged to Azula's former friends but then allies, Ty Lee and Mai. Ty Lee is from a circus family of side shows and carnies; she belonged to a family of seven sisters: part of a matched set. Ty Lee was considered a noblewoman—when she was associated with Azula—because she and the Fire Nation princess were childhood friends. Mai is the daughter of Fire Nation nobleman; she and Azula also were childhood friends. My family was born into the Fire Nation; my father is a bender, my father is not. Although my father worked as a ship merchant, selling weapons and such on his own convoy, the Fire Lord considered his sales to be beneficial to the Nation.

One year, Fire Lord Ozai had invited my father and mother to the palace for a special dinner—a full on feast. And when he learned that my father's daughter was gifted with a special ability that was forged from mind rather than elemental practice, Fire Lord Ozai suddenly showed favoritism toward my father and mother.

Because of the Fire Lord's immediate liking, I was brought to the palace, in his hopes to see a spectacular feat of mine, which I would perform in front of him for entertainment. Azula and I were supposed to duel; if I knocked her off her feet and sent her tumbling down a flight of stairs, my father and my mother were welcome to live in the palace, and I would be like family. If Azula won then my father was supposed to be jailed for lying to the Fire Lord about his daughter's so-called gift.

Because Azula and I had developed a friendship through our fathers' mutual respect, I had refused to hurt her. As I had mentioned previously in the last chapter, I cannot use my powers for something that I feel is wrong. Because I refused, Azula did as her father asked, and she used her powers against me. With a few burns that wouldn't scar, I was more or less unscathed. However, my father was sent to prison, and my mother—unable to keep the business going—fell into poverty.

Because I held my father was a prisoner and my mother was no longer wealthy, we were no longer welcome in the palace. Knowing that my family had nothing else waiting for us at home—money, food, or anything that would sustain us through a day—I took what I could from the treasury during a tour that Zuko willingly showed me, and I ran for it.

Of course, I was twelve then, and no child really understands what the law tolerates when a mother and child are starving because the provider is absent. I handed over the stolen treasure to my mom; however, I was caught. My mother was put on charges for aiding and abetting a felon, and I ran for it to escape punishment.

I left the Fire Nation behind in the dead of the night. I had been on the run ever since.

Obviously, I am not now; however, the last is true.

There is a history between the Fire Nation and me, which is key in my defense for what has happened in the past. I still don't regret doing what I did to help keep my family alive. However, rest assured that if I was supposed to duel Azula, I'd do it again just to say that I did.

When I was thirteen, I found peace, prosperity, and solitude on the skirts of the Eastern Air Temple, where grass, trees, and forest animals lived on the shore of a beach. Quite a distance away was the Southern Water Tribe, according to the World Map; on the other side of the land I lived off, there was the edge of the Earth Kingdom. I'd hazard a guess that the closest city there was Omashu, but I can't possibly tell you that without looking it up myself.

Four years left me on the beach with mere forest animals to keep me company. The friends that I made were preserved dinner rights; in the end, the companionship never lasted. It goes without saying that spending so much time in solitude could make a person paranoid after a while. The feeling that you're being watched starts just like that; and before you know it, every time a twig snaps, it's the same stalker just waiting for the opportune moment to strike when you're a wink away from falling into a long, well-deserved repose.

It can be very nerve-wracking after four years of _that. _You tell me how anybody can be calm when after four years of simple solitary confinement; a person like me sees a Fire Navy ship floating on the surface of the ocean, heading for Land Hoe.

And, if you're still reading or hearing this with apt attention, this is where my journey starts; however, you will simply have to continue this in Chapter Four.


	4. They Come

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Four: They Come

The Fire Navy ship was the first sign of civilization that I had seen in four years. It was easily recognizable, only for the reason that I had seen the design and material first hand. Like I mentioned before, my father was a convoy merchant for weaponry and the like. Because I had spent my pre-adolescent years in the forest, hidden from the boyish charms of a private or public school, I kept to the shadows that the trees granted me so close to dusk. It was nearing about half an hour after sunset, and the atmosphere that was peaceful and beautiful in the day time became a land that was all shadow and misguidance. I hid in the canopy, sitting on one of the thicker, stable branches. It was only a few minutes beforehand that I had climbed up there in search for dessert (which often entailed fruit from the land).

My solitude allotted me plenty of time and patience to demonstrate all that I could do with my powers, and I had practiced so religiously that simple movements, such as retrieving fruit and vegetation from the higher branches that were out of reach, were second-nature. Because I was so confident in my mindful ability, it was the reason why I didn't panic when I saw a few soldiers, dressed in the traditional, pointed Fire Nation suits, wearing helmets that hid their faces, and walking in a march to reach the sandy beach.

I was merely curious, though alert, about the soldiers coming ashore; however, I had always anticipated that Fire Lord Ozai would have sent an army to capture me, possibly out of a grudge against my crimes in his house. When the soldiers didn't move once they stepped off the boat, I waited a few minutes more to see who, if anyone was in charge of their command. At first, I saw an older man; as aged as he was, though retaining seriousness in his face, I noticed laugh lines along his mouth and eyes, so I assumed that either this man was new to the force; or perhaps he was a retired commanding officer.

A second man stepped out onto the sandy beach, though this one that I had seen was a much younger Firebender, bent with obvious issues with anger management; at first, I assumed that he was a rookie, entirely new to the patience of being a general of some sort. However, it was quite obvious to me who he was, for I recognized the better half of his handsome face as the young Prince Zuko whom I saw on occasion during my stay at his father's palace.

Of course, the good side was still tarnished with an obvious grudge. He had received a very bad burn along his left eye. Instantly, I was quite certain that his injury most likely came from his sister, Azula, but in the end, I was wrong. I wasn't too far from the truth, but still, what I assumed was inaccurate.

I put the ship, the crew, and the prince in a simple equation, and immediately assumed that the older man that traveled with him had to be his uncle—Fire Lord Ozai's brother—General Iroh.

I started to feel very much at ease. If the Fire Lord's family had come to my shore then it was possible that Fire Lord Ozai desperately wanted my arrest. Of course, four years in solitude would give anybody a chance to build mountains out of mole hills.

Instead of flying into the situation without a moment to lose, I waited for conversation.

Zuko had appeared quite irritated, as I recall. Looking back, I have to admit that for the longest time that he served as the Banished Prince of the Fire Nation, rather than the Honorable Firebending Master of Avatar Aang, Zuko had a very nasty temper.

Zuko signaled for his soldiers to look for wild life or any civilization. As they obeyed his order, he turned to his Uncle Iroh, who sat down upon the sandy shore with grace and with the most relaxed face that I had ever seen on a Fire Nation soldier.

"Uncle," said Zuko, "this is the second pit stop that we have made in two weeks. If we keep doing this, I will never find him."

"And what will you do when you find the Avatar, Prince Zuko?" asked Iroh calmly. He didn't seem too bothered by his nephew's impatience. Zuko frowned with annoyance. "When you go weeks at a time without a moment's rest, how useful will you be when you're up against a man who has had a century to learn all four elements, hm?"

Zuko considered Iroh's words with little aftermath.

"We shouldn't stop so often." Zuko said, folding his arms.

"Well," yawned Iroh, "your men are searching for people on this rather lovely beach, nephew. If you are so worried that the Avatar will escape your jurisdiction, order them to come back on the ship. Then," he said when Zuko opened his mouth to give the command, "when you are in your quarters and the captain is at the helm, you can go a few more days without a good night's sleep. A week later, the Avatar will present himself to you with open arms, and you can pass out from insomnia."

He stretched his aged arms and looked at Zuko with a knowing gaze.

"But," he shrugged, "whatever you decide is purely on your terms, Prince Zuko."

Zuko's frown deepened.

"I hate it when you do that."

Iroh smiled at him.

"I'm only looking out for you."

"I don't need supervision."

Nevertheless, Zuko didn't argue with him.

I was taken by surprise when a soldier standing underneath my tree branch cried out in sudden dismay. With a sinking feeling, I realized that my hiding spot had been uncovered. With a sudden panic, I dove from the tree branch and scuttled along the tree trunk in obvious skill from my experience in tree hopping. Zuko and Iroh, to my horror, had been cut off from their conversation, and their attention was drawn to me.

"Girl! Get back here!"

My feet found the grass, but a soldier grabbed my arm before I could race into the deeper foliage where, if I ran long enough, I could have hidden for hours without being seen. I scorned myself briefly that I should have done that before the Fire Navy ship had ported on the shore.

I did what I did best: I used my powers to overthrow him. A large, fallen tree branch came flying from peripheral vision and smacked my assaulting soldier clear across his helmet, and sent him into the next soldier who pursued him. As I improvised, the soldiers that came after me immediately assumed that the branch had been thrown by someone than me. Perhaps, they had thought, I was more than just one person.

"Get the girl, find the others!" ordered the soldier that had grabbed me. I assumed this was the captain. As five Fire Nation soldiers came to me with their hands raised, I grew nervous and air-flipped their helmets from their heads, exposing older gentlemen with facial hair. Their helmets acted upon their own nature and repeatedly slammed against the back of their heads aggressively.

Zuko and Iroh came toward me with shocked expressions on their faces. Their soldiers were getting beaten by their facial armor; they fought with batting hands and ended up smacking the other's faces. Thinking on that particular image, I have to say it was quite amusing on an outsider's perspective.

"She's a witch, I swear it!" cried out the captain.

He drew an angry breath like a furious dragon and blew a hot jet of red and yellow flames in my direction. I located oceanic shale from the shore of the beach and flung several of the pieces together to act as a make-shift shield. It didn't work so well, however; his fire was more powerful than my fragile armor, and it smashed through so easily that it sent me flying into the sand.

"Earthbender!"

"Witch!"

"Sorceress!"

"_Shut up!_" Zuko's voice was furious with frustration.

Lying on the sandy floor, I watched Zuko and Iroh stand above me with readied stances. I frowned, feeling quite disappointed in myself for getting myself caught.

"If you are here to arrest me," I said defiantly, "I'm not leaving without a fight?"

"Why would we arrest you?" Iroh asked curiously.

"What have you done?" Zuko demanded authoritatively.

I stared at them.

"Let me up, and I'll tell you." I said calmly.

Zuko frowned.

"You moved rock, so you must be an Earthbender. Why should I let you get to your feet?" He moved in closer with a very certain threat.

"I'm not an Earthbender, you idiot." I muttered.

"You lie."

I would have reacted negatively if it hadn't been for the way that Zuko's uncle was looking at me. It was as if he was attempting to locate my face. Zuko anticipated a surprise attack from me, so he aggressively grabbed my hair and said in a commanding tone,

"Who are you?"

His grip in my hair pulled my roots angrily; I clenched my hand into a fist. Zuko cried out, startled, as an invisible hand grabbed the hair of his ponytail and yanked him away from me.

Iroh looked at Zuko in mutual surprise; he then stared at me with widened eyes.

"Zuko, do you not know who this is?" he said with a wide smile.

"She's a peasant," Zuko said, rubbing his head. His demanding attitude disappeared when he saw the expression on Iroh's face.

"Look at her, Prince Zuko. Look."

Iroh's hands ceased my shoulders and pushed me close to Zuko who backed away from his insistent relative.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" he said, staring at me in obvious—and most likely immediate—dislike.

He considered me for more than moment. He didn't have a huge reaction like Iroh when he realized who I was.

"Mura." Zuko said with an apathetic tone. He looked at Iroh. "Why should I be excited to see her, Uncle?"

"Well, Prince Zuko, you were childhood friends."

"No," Zuko and I said in unison. Iroh's face fell. Zuko continued, "She wasn't my friend. She was Azula's."

Zuko frowned at me.

"You're wanted by the Fire Nation."

"That's not news to me." I told him, bored.

"Well," Zuko shrugged, "I don't have a lot of time to talk about old childhood tales—it's not like we have any. Uncle, get camp ready. I want to leave as soon as possible." He pushed pass me without another word.

Iroh stepped toward me.

"Mura, you've grown; though I have to say that I never have seen you perform any sort of power before. That's quite a gift you have."

"It's a powerful gift," I said honestly, and I indicated the proofs, which were attempting to get back on their feet after the helmets stopped being bullies. I glanced after Zuko, who was boarding the ship. "He's awfully broody."

"He has had quite a childhood as well, Mura. You shouldn't burden him over his attitude toward you."

"He's after the…Avatar?"

"Yes," said Iroh openly. "His father has sent him on a fool's quest. I don't think Fire Lord Ozai wants him to return home. If he was so kind to his son, he would let Zuko come home, Avatar or not."

I shook my head sadly.

"But, Iroh, the Avatar has been gone for one-hundred years."

"That is why it's a fool's quest," said Iroh. "Now," he sighed, swinging an arm around my shoulder, "how about another demonstration of your telekinesis abilities then you can give me a tour of your lovely home?"

I didn't know what to say to all that. Honestly, I thought that he was going to mention what happened the day I left the Fire Nation; however, I assumed at that point in time that it was water under the bridge. It wasn't Iroh who had a problem with me, though. It was Zuko.


	5. Cards on the Table

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Five: Cards on the Table

When we first met, it took Zuko about six months to tolerate my presence. It was Uncle Iroh who had proposed that I should come along with them. I had refused the first three times that it was brought up during conversation. It was still unsettling to me how they happened along my cozy home, but after Iroh and his soldiers explained to me that the pit stop had been at random (and when I tested them the third time to make certain that they weren't lying to me) I finally agreed to Iroh's terms. However, it wasn't Iroh's decision to invite strangers aboard the ship. It was Zuko's crew, and it was him alone that was going to decide my place.

He took a few things into consideration before allowing me to come aboard. Feeling that it was my place, I reminded him that if he found the Avatar and he returned home, I wouldn't be welcomed with open arms after four years of resisting arrest for my crimes in his father's house. Zuko, I think, gave his father too much credit; he told me that if he caught the Avatar, he would diligently inform Fire Lord Ozai that I initially helped. It was Iroh who suggested that upon arrival, I would demonstrate to the Fire Lord my gift, and if I did, Fire Lord Ozai would free my father who was still imprisoned; and if my mother was still alive, Fire Lord Ozai would redeem the crime that I committed in a handsome reward.

But as I said, and I say this again: Zuko gave his dad way too much credit.

I was aboard Prince Zuko's ship for six months, and there was no sign of the Avatar. With so much time at hand, I practiced my own abilities in a separate chamber with objects of both crude and innocuous natures. Uncle Iroh insisted that my job on Zuko's boat was more or less on the offense than defense; and if war came upon us, I would need more than oceanic shale to protect the soldiers, Zuko, and Uncle Iroh.

Prince Zuko, hot-tempered as he was, did not invite me into conversations that were simply to make a companionship. He sought no friendship on his quest to search for the master of the four elements; not even his captain or lieutenant had an acquaintance with him. And the only person that Zuko even spoke to—if at all—was his uncle.

I wasn't afraid of Zuko. To be quite honest, I even admired him for his ambitious ideal to search for a being that had been missing for _years._ His grandfather and the father before him had failed to find this Avatar. I think on some level, I really wanted to see Zuko return home with honor.

Though, on another level, Fire Lord Ozai was never a good man.

Curiosity got the better of me one night. It was dusk; the sun was only shining a sliver in the horizon. It was a peaceful evening: smooth sailing all day long and it ended with salty air in the breeze and calm waters.

Iroh made his usual pot of Ginseng tea, and he offered me a cup without hesitation on his part. The rest of the crew retired for the night, aside from the lieutenant, who was awake at the helm. In two hours, a soldier would awaken and relieve his commanding officer; the routine would repeat as expected.

Iroh gave me a quirky smile as he held my cup of tea out in front of me.

"Make it levitate, Mura."

I shrugged.

"Let it go," I said simply.

He didn't question me; he slowly removed his hand from the tea cup, and he grinned widely as he watched it hover in the air about a foot from my hand on the table.

"Mura, it is a brilliant gift that you possess," he said with genuine awe.

I lowered the tea cup into my hand with a casual tip of my chin.

"Perhaps Zuko believes," I said uncertainly, "that I use it to show off?"

"You are not arrogant, my dear," Iroh said courteously, "however, you _are_ a powerful girl. He's sixteen, Mura. He doesn't think ahead; all he sees is what's in front of him."

"_I'm_ sixteen," I told him, though I took no offense.

"And you age gracefully," he added, patting my shoulder.

I asked the question that I wanted answered for the longest time,

"General, what happened to Zuko's face? Why is he obsessed with the Avatar?"

He considered me for the moment.

"I anticipated this night for the longest while, Mura," he said slowly. "I didn't that you were ever going to ask me." He chortled good-naturedly. "He wouldn't want me telling you."

"Was it his sister?"

"Azula?" said Iroh with wide eyes. "No, no. But she was there."

I set my tea cup in my lap.

"General Iroh, what happened to him? Surely, I should be told."

"Well, I suppose lying to you wouldn't be worth anything since you can usually tell if you're being lied to, would it?" he said with a slight smirk.

I shrugged with a smirk of my own.

The man knew me without knowing me.

"I don't want to give you the full story, Mura; however, I can tell you the brief tale."

As you already know, Zuko's scar came from his father after Zuko refused to fight an Agni Kai with Fire Lord Ozai. It was a mark of cowardice, shame, and disrespect; and only when Zuko returned home with the Avatar was he allowed to be restored in good fortune. Zuko had been banished until then, and he searched obsessively for the Avatar to win back his father's love and honor.

I pitied Zuko, and I detested the Fire Lord more than I had hated him when he took my father away. Iroh waited patiently for a response; however, apparently it was on my face, for he set a delicate hand on my arm and patted it consolingly.

"Mura, I do not think that Zuko intends to neglect you," said Iroh. "In the six months that you have been with us, I already know that you and he have become closer than you think. You've given him no reason to mistrust you; and neither has he, to you. Childhood friends have that bond, Mura."

"That's a lie," I told him softly. He looked at me, slightly taken aback; however, I didn't mean to come off so rude. I politely excused myself, thanked him for the tea, and headed inside the ship to find Zuko.

He wasn't sleeping when I entered his quarters. I found him lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He merely looked at me as if I didn't belong, though he didn't urge me to get out of his room. I sarcastically knocked on the door to announce my presence. He sat up in bed and frowned.

"What are you doing here? Only Uncle is allowed inside my room. The only reason why you or anyone else would be interrupting me is if the Avatar has been spotted." He looked me over briefly and said afterward, "What are you doing here?"

I entered the room and waved my behind me. The door closed by itself, gently latching in a final answer.

"Prince Zuko," I said, "we never talked about the last time I saw you."

"It's not important." Zuko said coldly.

"Clearly, it is; if it wasn't, you wouldn't treat me like an outsider, would you?" I said, adopting his attitude.

"You're bothering me. Get out."

"'_Get out'?_" I repeated. "You talk to me like I'm some new recruit. I should know; the way you treat your crew members is despicable."

"The crew doesn't matter," said Zuko irritably. "What matters is finding the Avatar."

"You won't find him," I said, approaching his bed. "The Avatar has been missing for one-hundred years; no one has been able to find him. Your father—"

"My father is Fire Lord Ozai," said Zuko, climbing out of bed, "and it is in your best interest to address him as that, Mura. You better learn some respect," he said, and he poked me in the shoulder, "or I'll teach it to you."

He pushed pass me.

"You'll _teach_ it to me, Zuko?" I asked angrily. "I took out half of your crew without a problem in the world. I'm certain that I can take on a scrawny boy like you!"

Zuko turned around furiously, wielding a manifest of fiery whips.

I admit that I was not anticipating his temper to flare so easily when I insulted him. Now that I think on it, it was highly disrespectful to assume that his prowess was less than that of his ship and crew. I'm certain that on that night, I was speaking out of anger; more or less for the reason that since I was aboard his ship, he made himself the boss of me, despite our past.

He, of course, put me in place when he gave me a good example of his increased skill in Firebending. It wasn't as well-performed as Azula in your younger years; however, it was impressive, nevertheless.

Since I wasn't expecting it, I fell almost instantly to the floor, shocked and dismayed at his aroused temper. The moment I cowered, he extinguished.

"The only reason that you're still on this ship," said Zuko, annoyed, "is that my uncle believes that you're a good person. I, however, still think that you're that thief who tried to rob my father."

"For good reason," I retorted, rising to my feet.

"Is that so?" he said sardonically.

"Fire Lord Ozai imprisoned one of his best merchants because I wasn't going to fight Azula, Zuko."

"You should have. She's a terrible, twisted girl," Zuko returned.

"I couldn't do it if I wanted to. We were friends, Azula and me. It was wrong to lash at her. And I'm not too happy that she burned me on her own terms; that pretty much ended our friendship. But why are you acting as if I'm some parasite aboard your ship, Prince Zuko? I didn't question why you're going after the Avatar—despite how foolish the errand is. You're treating me like I'm some kind of bad person, and I'm not."

Zuko stormed toward me so quickly that I had to step backwards in order to give me personal space.

"You're awfully disrespectful to me if you want me to treat you like a friend," Prince Zuko snapped.

"Because you don't show me proper respect!"

"Why should I? You're a fugitive!"

"And you're the banished prince, so what—?"

He became furious again and this time, he tried to hit me. I fingered the fireplace probes along the wall; they came flying to my aid just in time; Zuko's fist was barred by the crossed, burning tips of the cowpokes.

"You are the most frustrating girl that I've ever met!" he said.

"And you're the most frustrating boy that I've ever met," I said.

Our argument didn't go unheard. In only a minute after my retort, the door opened and General Iroh met our little aggression with a wide-eyed expression. He saw barred cowpokes separating Zuko and me, and apparently he understood the situation.

"Zuko, Mura," he said disapprovingly, "the entire crew can hear the two of you fighting like an old, married couple."

He closed the door behind me. He signaled for me to lower the fireplace probes.

I grabbed them out of the air and placed them where they belonged. Zuko glanced at Iroh in frustration.

"You don't have to come in here to settle my disputes, Uncle. I can take care of her myself."

Iroh frowned,

"Oh, yes, Prince Zuko, you were doing a marvelous job when I walked in."

Zuko walked away from to sit back on his bed.

"Mura," said Iroh gently, "you should retire for the night. You'll need your rest for the morning. I need to speak with Zuko alone."

"No," said Zuko, to my surprise, "I don't need a talk. I want to be alone. _Now._"

Iroh didn't argue with him. He gestured me to follow him out the door. I bided Zuko a formidable good night, to which he responded with an almighty slam of the door behind me.


	6. I Digress

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Six: I Digress

Because I was still upset with Zuko, I couldn't sleep; so I went up to the deck to find some inner peace. Even a telekinetic cannot go to sleep angry. It's bad for the nerves; and if a person falls asleep, she wakes up just as angry as before. I was surprised to find Zuko there at the bow of the ship. I had thought that General Iroh had persuaded him to try to catch a few naps before sunrise. Apparently, it was as useful to Zuko as it was for me.

The banished prince was moody for the most of the time that I spent on the ship with him; and for a long time, I believed that he was a hot-tempered boy who hadn't figured out that life was unfair to everyone, even to those who had it easy. Although I was still irritated with him, I empathized with his situation. His entire life was based on the hope of searching for the master of all four elements, which explained why he was so easily annoyed when his authority was questioned by the naïve crew. According to General Iroh, I was the only other person that knew about the impact of the voyage on the sea.

As I approached Zuko closer, I realized that he was looking over a large scrap of parchment in his hands. To make my presence known, I beckoned the scroll to me. Zuko sighed with obvious annoyance as the parchment struggled out of his loose hands and flew over his shoulder. His amber eyes glanced at me as the scroll rolled itself up neatly and gently fell into my outstretched hand.

"Hi." I said apathetically. Smiling seemed over the top; and frowning was a provocation.

He didn't reply. He just turned around to look at the long sheet of ocean that surrounded us all on every end. As I approached beside his armored self, I unrolled the scroll. It was the map that indicated the territories of the four nations. According to my calculations, we were still on Earth Kingdom waters. We were safe. Although I recognized Prince Zuko as the youngest of the Fire Lord's royal children, the Fire Nation recognized him as a traitor. Banishment was not a negotiating term.

I was banished as well, but obviously, I was a criminal. I still am one; I just don't care.

"What are you doing up in the middle of the night?" he asked me as I surveyed the map with obvious interest. "I thought my uncle told you to go to bed. I was under the impression that your kind needs sleep."

"My kind, Zuko? There's no one like me," I told him bluntly, shoving the scroll into his chest. "My kind…" I turned to him. "Where do you get the right to belittle people, Prince Zuko? Is that some kind of birth right or do you have a problem with communication?"

He frowned.

"Awfully rude for a Fire Nation nobleman's daughter," he said curtly.

"All right, I take it back," I said with a shrug. "Prince Zuko, I understand your situation. You know that, don't you?"

"You can't understand. You've never been in my place."

"I know why you search for the Avatar," I said, concerned. "Do not take me for a fool. I'm not stupid."

He considered me for a moment. He doubted it.

"Uncle told you, didn't he?"

"Yes." I confirmed shamelessly. He became irritated, but I continued anyway, "Zuko, it's not something to be ashamed about; Iroh told me why you stood up to Fire Lord Ozai, and it makes perfect sense. You had the Fire Nation's interest at heart—"

"I disgraced Father in his war room, Mura. There's nothing honorable in that." Zuko retorted hotly. "You say that you're this good person, Mura, but all I've heard from you is your support for crimes that have happened in the Fire Nation. We don't accept treason, Mura!"

"_Stop acting as if I'm a traitor,_" I said angrily, stepping toward him aggressively. "I came up here to calm down and you're just making me more irritated with you!"

"And what are you going to do about it, Mura?"

"_What are you going to do, _Zuko? Are you going to put me back in place, is that it?"

He and I stared at each other for quite a while.

I honestly wanted to be his friend, but every time that he accused me of the past, it caused me so much fury that all I could do was to shout back at him. It was very immature that we would fight like this, but I assumed after the first three or four arguments, our little discussions would turn into nasty quarrels.

I digressed; after all, my whole point for appearing on deck was not to make the situation worse. I didn't want to make my stay upon Prince Zuko's ship any harder than it had been. Although he didn't seem to have the urge to want to trust me, I wanted him to since it was his father who had put us in our place as of that night. General Iroh somehow thought that it was a good idea to carry me along in the journey. I could tell on that day I boarded that Iroh sincerely believed—or wanted to believe—that if Fire Lord Ozai saw that Zuko and I captured the Avatar, both of us would be free.

However, after half a year of searching for a man who possibly wasn't even alive, I realized that Fire Lord Ozai sent his son on Mission Impossible. The only way Fire Lord Ozai would accept Prince Zuko's return was if his name was labeled on a body bag; however, I wasn't going to be the one who told the prince that news.

Zuko pushed pass me to stand at the edge of the bow of the ship. I hesitated to speak again, knowing that if I tried, it would stir him again.

I was about to walk away without another word when Zuko asked me a question that made me halt, mid-step.

"Why," he asked with such conviction, "does my uncle believe that you could help me catch the Avatar?"

I said nothing.

He turned to look at me.

"You've been gone from the Fire Nation for four years. I thought you were dead until we found you on the shores. After all this time, why does Uncle Iroh think that you, someone who hated what we stood for, could help me return to home?"

"I never hated my home, Zuko." I said truthfully. "I loved it there."

I stepped toward him cautiously, curious to know if he had calmed down, or if he was just on the brink of a temper tantrum again.

"Look," I began with a sigh, "General Iroh told me what happened to you because I personally asked him. He figured that I would have asked in the long run. The crew members think that you were in a training accident. Obviously, it's not. Even for me, I thought your scar came from Azula."

"You really don't like her, do you?" he said with a slight smirk.

"No." I said seriously. "I don't. But," I pressed on, "I found out that it was Fire Lord Ozai who gave you that scar. Quite honestly, and I do mean _honestly_, your father is quite an unreasonable, arrogant, highly destructible man who values the qualities of an uncontrollable monster, however," I sighed, for Zuko looked at me with a cocked eyebrow, "I digress."

I waved my fingers to catch the scroll from his hands which loosely had held the map of the four nations.

"I think I can help you with your quest, and I'm not just saying that because I've been on this boat forever with only a few waves of my hand to convince you. I actually know a few things about benders and not just _Firebenders_ either. Though," I added, "I do realize that Firebenders have nasty tempers, _Zuko._"

He frowned slightly at my improperly place joke.

"I'm not a witch," I explained, "I'm a telekinetic. And I'm just capable of moving light, paper weight objects. Well, you've seen what I can do."

"It's impressive," he said, "but it's not going to be much help against a master of all four elements."

"I took out at least ten of your men, and I was barely trying," I reminded him. "What you don't know how to do is how to talk to people."

"I speak fine."

"You're very articulate," I said sincerely, "but calling common folk 'peasants' and calling me a witch aren't exactly ways to get answers. You're not exactly Mr. Calm Britches either."

He considered my information.

I smiled when he nodded his head.

"Great. Now why don't we start over, hm? Prince Zuko, I've heard about you; you're on a quest for the Avatar. Well, how about I show you what I can do then you can decide whether I'm suitable to board your ship or otherwise?"

Zuko humored me as he took my offered hand.

I pushed his shoulder.

"Watch this."

From the deck, there was rubble, weapons, and empty cups and kettles scattered across the surface. Zuko stood behind me as I located each item.

When a telekinetic concentrates on an item, it's very much like taking the heel of your hand and massaging it against your temples right above your cheekbones. When more than one item is located via brain waves, it adds more pressure to the temples, along with the back of the head, nape of the neck, and along the roots of a person's head of hair. These pressure points are not as bad when several little objects—like the ones that I named—are hovered into the air because it's a lot like pressing your forefinger into your temple. However, lifting a ten ton ship, pending on the experience and pain tolerance of the telekinetic, is comparable to banging your head against the wall lightly then slowly becoming a harder impact against the wall. Either way: over an extended period time of like an hour or two in constant concentration is very painful.

I wanted this information to be known to just explain of what I could do on a very basic level, which was what I was demonstrating to Zuko that night. With the rubble that was expendable, I showed Zuko that with simple flicks of a hand, I could combust it into an open explosion. The blasts rang through the air with a deafening blow. With the weaponry, I guided each sword, axe, and mace into the air while destroying the rubble; along with those two actions, I poured Zuko and me a cup of tea in the air. The hot kettle and the two cups floated toward Prince Zuko graciously. He stared with a stumped expression on his face.

I was interrupted when the Fire Nation guards and a sleepy Iroh bombarded from the deck of the ship in a rush; Iroh's face drew a blank, awe-inspired stare as knives and clubs danced with maces in the air. Realizing that the entire crew had been awoken by my demonstration, I quickly subdued the dancing weaponry; the knives bowed into the wood, maces separated from the clubs and positioned neatly against the edge of the boat; and the remaining heap of the rubble and debris fell instantly to the deck.

Zuko grabbed the floating cup of tea that was poured for him. The one that I poured for myself floated generously toward Iroh, who took it, still stunned.

Zuko, now thawed from his astonishment, quickly recomposed and turned to his men.

"What?" he snapped at them.

"Sir," said the Lieutenant, "we heard loud noises up here. We thought you were being attacked."

"Well, I'm not," said Prince Zuko.

Iroh turned to the lieutenant.

"Don't mind him; I'm sure he appreciates your concern." He turned to Zuko with a wide grin. "At least it's reassuring that we have a crew of light sleepers, isn't it, Prince Zuko?" He sipped his tea then added, "And a great tea server."

The begrudged lieutenant turned on his heel and beckoned the guards to continue as they were. I looked at Zuko, bashful.

"I didn't mean to wake them." I said.

"It doesn't matter," Zuko replied. He sighed. "All right, I guess you can be helpful."

"Great," I said. "Well, I'm going to bed."

"You're leaving?" he asked, surprised.

"Well, I haven't slept. It's dangerous enough to practice without a good night's rest at any rate. I have to be alert. The stuff that I just did isn't too much of a mind game. If you asked me to fight off another dozen of your soldiers, it would be a tad difficult."

"So you wouldn't be helpful then if I was to be ambushed," he said.

I smirked.

"Prince Zuko, I said it would be difficult. I didn't say that I wouldn't be able to do it."

He returned my smirk.

"Be early, Mura. We set a course through Earth Kingdom waters."

"Expect to find the Avatar hiding in a mole hill, Sir?" I asked him diligently.

"At this rate, it couldn't hurt to look."

"Whatever you say, sir," I yawned. "I'll see you at daybreak."


	7. Thoughts and Considerations

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Seven: Thoughts and Considerations

In the morning, the helmsman made a course through the Earth Kingdom waters in search of the Avatar's whereabouts. When I woke from a very pleasant dream, it was exactly daybreak. I went up deck, dressed in Fire Navy armor—courtesy of the armorer who specialized in conforming male suits to a female's curves (which I _really_ don't want to know to this day how he came onto the specialty). The crew members, all twenty of them, had come onto the deck, ready to take on another day. Honestly, it wasn't because they expected a fight from a passing ship or some crazy Airbender to come sailing by to assault us.

No, unlike me, they still had problems dealing with Zuko's ambition to capture the Avatar. They didn't know that his future rested on the Avatar's capture; and it would have helped matters if they did. However, as General Iroh had been the one to inform me of Zuko's true nature, I left it to the retired Fire Nation soldier to give them the story. Truthfully, I didn't want to inform the guards because I seriously wouldn't be able to explain it without wanting to punch an imaginary hole in the ship. After all, my mind was stronger than my physical strength. (Even today, the odds of me being able to strike a hole through solid metal are completely out of the question).

At any rate, as I was coming up onto the landing, Iroh took me aside and told me that we were heading for land again to make a pit stop. We were running low on supplies, and also, the soldiers wanted to relieve themselves properly. I didn't ask to know the last bit, but Iroh was such in a good mood that the acronym 'TMI' really didn't take.

Well, Zuko was irritated with that. The last time they had made a pit stop, they came across my path. Even on a logical level, six months with twenty hungry men and General Iroh would have wasted quite a bit of food. Another month would leave the men starving. I wasn't much of a fisherwoman either on the sea. It took me about ten minutes to explain to Zuko that in order for me to bend—if I could bend at all—was that I had to be in full physical contact with water. To be quite blunt, someone would have had to throw me overboard. I heartily disagreed with the plan the moment one of the soldiers proposed it; though Iroh seemed to partially agree with it. Zuko overruled, finally subsiding into agreeing to the plan of pulling the ship to shore.

When the helmsman cried out that land was just over the horizon of the rising sun, the soldiers joined the helmsman in cheerful delight. I had to laugh, for Iroh had joined in. They, at least, were now in high spirits. I joined Zuko by the bow of the ship.

"You know, Prince Zuko, it might not be a waste of our time if we asked around the town about the location of the Avatar," I proposed smoothly.

"They won't know anything." Zuko said with so much conviction that I narrowed my eyes at him in instant curiosity.

"It can't hurt to try."

Zuko turned to me.

"Mura, I've been down that road before."

"Not with me, you haven't," I said, poking him in the chest. "Look, if we gather supplies for the ship and let the soldiers have a bit of a furlough for three days, it will take the edge off the atmosphere. Your men are tired, sir, and so are you."

"I don't have time for this, Mura."

"Then let me try and _you_ can stay on the ship," I said with a shrug. "You've seen me in action before; let me just walk around town and ask. You don't have to be with me."

He narrowed his eyes at me this time.

"How do I know that you're not going to escape?"

"_Escape?_" I repeated. I couldn't fight the urge to laugh. "I'm not a prisoner on your ship, Zuko. I'm helping you, remember?"

Zuko didn't smile.

"If it so bothersome to you that I might 'escape', why don't you tag along? And anyway," I added, "the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom are quite enjoyable this time of year. You might just have a little fun on accident."

"You talk too much." Zuko said summarily.

The ship drew up onto the shore.

When a person sees a Fire Nation ship, it usually means two things: 1) Someone has committed a crime, or 2) Taxes are due. Honestly, I have to say that when we arrived on the shore, I didn't expect the villagers of the coastal town to come at the ship as if we were a pariah on the land. These people apparently knew their rights, and they wanted us to know that we weren't allowed to bully them.

Now here's a thing that you need to know before I continue with my story.

When a Firebender gets angry, flames issue from their fingertips, ears, mouth—whatever exerts breath when they Firebend. Waterbenders accidentally break icebergs or cause water to flow at larger amounts. Earthbenders make faults in the earth; and Airbenders almost start a tornado around themselves. All these examples are reactions to stress stimuli: usually, the stressor is anger.

My stimuli are anger and threats. When I'm provoked, or when I'm feeling incredible amounts of rage, my body reacts to it involuntarily. In this case, my defense mechanism is very much like the Avatar State for the Avatar when he's being physically threatened, angered, or if he suffers great depression.

My telekinesis heightens; this means that the things that I can't normally do without fully concentrating actually become quite easy in an inexplicable manner. Anger, or the provocation of death, inflicts the extraordinary fight response in my brain, which causes me to be quite…well, destructive.

So now that you know this, it would not be surprising to you that when the villagers came angrily storming onto the ship with fists rising and weapons in their hands, I flung their bodies aside like useless pencils over the edge of the ship. They didn't attack the soldiers because they couldn't get pass me.

Zuko, who recognized their threat, ordered his men to wait for his command to obtain the so-called assailants. The villagers were disarmed of their sticks, bats, and balls of smashed fruit which all flew from their hands. The bodies that still came to me faced my defenses with increased ambition to fight the crew members; however, growing irritated with their resistance, I concentrated on the bodies of ten middle-aged men, lifted them into the air, and slammed them back down either on the boat's boarding dock or into the water that waded below.

They stopped attacking, breathless and out of air.

Zuko ordered his men off the ship. They carried out his command with ease. Several eyes looked at me wide eyes, awe-struck by my actions. I would have been proud of myself, too, though my head was screaming.

My defenses are carried out by levels of strength that I haven't practiced; it's like punching a concrete floor with all your strength and feeling the aftermath an hour later.

The Fire Navy gathered the assailants from the tide and the shore to herd them in collective group. The rest of the small village that hadn't tried to veer off the ship crowded around the arrests. General Iroh approached from behind me and patted my shoulder with his personal congratulations. Despite the on-going apprehension of the town's citizens, he was quite amused by what I had done.

I would have been especially proud of myself if (1) I had done it on my own accord without the provocation, or (2) the fact that I had a nerve-splitting headache.

Zuko interrogated the townspeople about the possibility of the Avatar making a home there: it was within reasonable logic that the Avatar would have been resting close to the Airbending temples; though I imagined that the only way to get on top of an actual temple was by hitching a ride on a flying bison: quite frankly, I was pretty sure that the Airbenders and the flying bison were extinct from the Air Nomad Genocide. Zuko had been sure that the villagers had something to hide since they attacked us the moment the ship touched base; however, after questioning the actions of the town's people, they explained with reasonable difficulty that the Earth Kingdom towns (and probably the rest of two other nations) didn't take intruders lightly, even if they were a ship of Firebenders.

Zuko made it clear to them that he could arrest them all for attempted assault on the Fire Lord Prince and his crew. He told them that even if I hadn't intervened on the Fire Nation's best interest, the whole lot of them would have suffered severe third degree burns and cost quite a few lives. The Earth Kingdom townspeople reacted when Zuko informed them that the townspeople had attacked a telekinetic; of course, this wouldn't really have mattered if I was a normal being. It was possible that the world discovered my absence and Prince Zuko had made it public that the so-called witch that was traveling with him was the same girl who went missing four years ago.

Now it brought on the unsaid question of why Prince Zuko stowed away a fugitive on his ship. In reference to that, Zuko told the townspeople that if he was in a more foul mood, he would have them all arrested for the attempt on his captain's life. Of course, when he said this, I obviously questioned who the hell he made captain; and if he did, it wouldn't have made sense, considering no one hadn't gotten pass my attacks on the ship.

It took me a whole five minutes to understand that Zuko apparently had given me a title of Captain. I have to be honest here when I say that I seriously do not know when he promoted me from mere fugitive to a high-ranked soldier on his ship. Now that I think of it, I never really asked him when he decided that I was a part of his crew.

Nevertheless, General Iroh persuaded Prince Zuko that the villagers only attacked the ship because it is a widely understood concept that Fire Lord Ozai was not a particularly well-liked man, despite the propaganda that the Fire Nation advertises in pamphlets and animations. Begrudgingly, Zuko allowed the mistakes of the Earth Kingdom villagers to pass, though he warned them that if they attacked another Fire Navy ship (and if he heard about it), he would return and arrest them all.

I didn't take his threat seriously, considering that he had been persuaded to let them go. However, there it is.

We didn't stay long in the town. It's quite awkward to spend an ample amount of time in markets and little shops within the village that had just tried to attack your crew; and then suddenly think that they're going to like you. As I said, we didn't stay long. At any rate, Prince Zuko grew weary from so many pit stops.

According to General Iroh, Zuko had been on the sea for at least two years; in six more months, it would be a third for searching for a myth or legend. So with that mind, the crew came aboard the ship once more, and we set a course. I think I lost track with the orders that came from him after a while. A course due north, a course due south, a course to the east and west—in general, I really didn't think that Zuko knew where he was going; and if he did, by what evidence did he have to decide these routes? Aside from the excruciating interrogation in the previous town, there was absolutely _no_ lead.

Zuko must have realized this, for I found him in his quarters, meditating with five brightly lit candles in a dim-lit room. The flames of the wicks were breathing, which wasn't a surprising concept. Firebenders used the flames of the candles to steady their tempers. As General Iroh had told me, the power of a Firebender was supposed to be drawn from inner strength of the breath, not by the force of the muscle. I believed Zuko had both, though when he exploded into a vile temper tantrum, all thoughts of inner peace went out the window.

I knocked on the door.

"Prince Zuko," I said calmly. "It's been an hour, Sir, and you haven't given your men an order."

"I don't care what they do," said Zuko tonelessly. "The only reason that you should be interrupting me, Captain, is that you have found something relevant to my quest. If you haven't," he said, looking at me, "then you should leave."

"The men are curious about where we're headed this time." I divulged, closing the door.

"Until I find a lead, I'll make that call."

I had an inkling that he was getting frustrated with me, though I wanted to speak to him about his goals in his search. He hadn't instructed his men in a while, and he seemed too calm for his nature. I approached him quietly and sat down beside him. I watched the candles to make sure that I wasn't aggravating him to a full extent. They steadied evenly across the table.

"What are you doing?" I asked him quietly.

"Meditating," he answered. He said nothing for a few minutes then looked at me. "I have a question for you?"

"_Fire_," I said jokingly, indicating the candles.

He didn't laugh.

I shrugged. _Kill joy._

"You can bend earth and water," said Zuko.

"I can't _bend_," I told him seriously.

He ignored me.

"How do you bend fire?"

"I can't."

"What?" he was surprised to hear that apparently.

"I can't," I repeated. "With earth and water, I usually concentrate on a grain of sand or a drop of water; I can't separate fire, Zuko. And I'm certainly not going to touch it for a long period of time to learn how to _'bend' _it." I retorted, smirking. "I'm not an all-powerful sorceress, Prince Zuko, I _do_ have weakness, you know."

"Like your headaches?" he asked.

"Yeah…" I said, massaging my temple.

He nodded.

"It was very impressive what you did back in the town earlier," he said.

I stared at him.

"Did Prince Zuko just compliment me?"

He frowned at me.

"I simply said what I thought," he said curtly. "Don't get a big head."

I smiled.

"Zuko, whatever you're planning in that stubborn skull of yours," I resigned, "I'll go along with it. It's your ship, your crew: you do make the calls. I didn't mean to hurt those people in the town. It simply happened."

"So," said Zuko, "what you did back there was involuntary?"

"Yes."

"But you did it. I saw it."

"It's what happens when I'm threatened," I explained with a shrug. "It's not too different compared to how you channel your anger through your Firebending."

"Why would you feel threatened?" he asked sarcastically.

"I was just doing my duty," I answered.

He smirked.

I rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you're thinking, it's not it," I said roughly. I rose to my feet. "Well, Prince Zuko, your uncle is going to be telling stories in the chow hall if you get bored and want to join me. I'll be there, having fun; and you'll be in here, _'meditating'."_


	8. General Iroh's Appeals

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Eight: General Iroh's Appeals

When I speak of Iroh in my recollection of the tales that he and I participate in as a unity, I word my sentences in a purposeful meaning; I did admire Zuko's uncle for his wonderful personality; and if you asked the other Fire Nation soldiers, Waterbenders, Earthbenders, and those who served with him even after he retired from the Fire Nation military, almost everyone would say that he was a kind, old man with wisdom beyond anyone's years. After his failure in the capture of Ba Sing Se during the 600-day siege, he was still a respected general, despite the dishonor that fell over him. I had heard of this tale from many of the soldiers who actually were serving Zuko on the same ship that I resided for the six months; they still held General Iroh in highest regards. I referred to him as such, despite his former resignation, because I believed that he deserved such a title. Of all the soldiers that I had ever met, General Iroh was by far the best one.

He was not entirely ruthless like Captain Zhao, a highly unpleasant Captain—or so he was the last I saw him. If I recall correctly, Zhao was probably the last person I saw when I left the Fire Nation. He was a Navy Captain for the Fire Nation; Zhao hadn't been put on any assignment until I became a fugitive. I assumed that Fire Lord Ozai had put the man in charge of my capture; and I assumed, now, that Zhao had either long ago forsaken my fate to death; or he simply lost the will to care about a missing 12-year-old girl of an imprisoned nobleman.

General Iroh didn't much care for Zhao either, as the older man—whether highly-ranked or not—had a vile temper, worse than Zuko's. Any man who couldn't control his Firebending was neither a man to be trifled with or to befriend.

And Prince Zuko couldn't stand Zhao. I didn't have to ask to know it, but that, my jury and peers will come later.

General Iroh knew how his nephew treated the crew; and he eased their so-called suffering with regaling of his adventures in the war (the more pleasantries of the event), wise tales that were passed down from a generation to the next, and he sang songs of the cultures that took place in each nation.

My favorite had become _Four Seasons,_ which I joined in every now and again with him.

General Iroh served tea during these little sessions. They took place about twice a week, and it was a break from the work that Zuko had put on the men. I enjoyed them as much as any other man. Sometimes, General Iroh would ask the soldiers if they had stories to tell; if so, we would listen to them with drawn attention. Afterward, Iroh would ask me to sing a song for the crew. Though I doubted it, General Iroh made it a specific point that I had a talented knack for singing unaccompanied by music, which he complimented in front of the men. His flattering made me blush occasionally.

So when the soldiers asked me to entertain them with a stirring love song, I humored them with one of the Fire Nation's favorites. Afterward, they would applaud, and I would continue to listen to Iroh about how he was given his name "Dragon of the West".

Zuko came into the room with a knock on the door.

I turned. At first, I thought he was going to join the rest of us for tea. However, he beckoned for me to follow him; and he led me out onto the stern of the ship.

"It's a bit cold out, Zuko," I suggested gently. "Perhaps it'd be better for the both of us if we went back inside?"

"You'll have to get used to the cold," said Zuko. "We're heading into icy waters. You need to learn how to stay warm if you want to continue to travel with us. You're not a Firebender, which makes it easier for you to catch a cold."

"So I'm standing outside in the middle of the night because…?"

"I need you to train yourself so that you won't freeze to death."

"That's caring," I said, slightly disapproving, "but I'll be fine. I've lasted winters before, remember?"

He ignored that. Prince Zuko approached me.

"You're not like the others," he said.

"Well, that should be clear enough," I said playfully, nudging him in the ribs.

He reacted curiously.

"I'm serious, Mura."

"Look," I said, ignoring his dutiful manner, "I only reacted so violently the other day because it's my natural defenses in my mind. It's no different than the fight or flight response. I obviously don't carry the gene that requires me to run from danger."

"You were lucky that you didn't endanger the crew," said Zuko seriously.

"Well, the crew wasn't putting my life _in _danger," I said coolly. "Prince Zuko, I admire your urgency to train me to calm my nerves, but you can't plan on how to manage a state of panic. If you or I could do that, it wouldn't be called panic."

"What would you have done if Uncle Iroh and I hadn't cornered you on the beach, Captain?" he demanded. "What would you have done?"

"You caught me off guard, it's that simple."

"Surprise attacks are not simple," said Zuko bitingly. "You have to be more prepared; you have to be vigilant."

"I'm as vigilant as they come, Zuko," I replied gently. "Remember? I have a sixth sense."

"That didn't help you when we could have permanently burned you," he said sardonically.

I frowned at him.

He sighed.

"I'm all for your weird magic tricks, Mura," he said, gesturing wildly with his arms, "but you're absolutely useless against hand-to-hand combat."

"_Useless?_" I said incredulously. I stormed toward him and jutted my finger into his chest, "Let me tell you something, _Prince_ Zuko; I know a thing or two about hand-to-hand combat, and if you weren't my superior or cute, I would throw you overboard!"

He stared at me, obviously stunned; then his face contorted into a challenging smirk.

"Well," he said, pushing my hand away, "if you're so grown up, why don't you?"

"What?"

"Throw me overboard."

It was my turn to stare at him. I thought I misheard him, but the smirk on his face told me that I actually heard him right.

He readied himself for my pre-armed strike. However, I did what I did best.

Before he knew what was happening, he was lifted off his feet into the air as if a hand had grabbed him from the nape of his cloth underneath his armor. He yelped, startled, as he was brought over the edge of the ship.

"Hey!" he said angrily, flames shooting out of his hands. "I said for you to throw me overboard, _physically!"_

"You didn't specify, Sir," I said calmly.

I hovered him over the edge. He was floating beside the ship, fighting against the telekinetic pull.

"I'll put you down if you make a deal with me, Prince Zuko."

"_Get. Me. Down._" Zuko ordered furiously through gritted teeth.

"Fine," I sighed.

The invisible hand lowered him gently back onto the dock. He breathed steam from his ears and nose.

"That was a _cheap trick,_" he growled, annoyed.

"Teach me."

He opened his mouth for rebuttal; however he blinked, taken aback.

"What?"

"Teach me," I said with a chuckle. "Teach me hand-to-hand combat." I shrugged. "It _was _a dirty trick, but I couldn't resist. You've been such a grumpy goose all night. You need to lighten up."

Freeze frame. All right, so here's the situation. I was attracted to Prince Zuko, but since this is a _long_ letter to the jury, peers, and it's going before the _entire_ Republic including Fire Lord Zuko and his relatives, Team Avatar, and pretty much _everyone_ that was involved in the 100-year war, I will only breeze through these municipal moments where it's obvious that I'm attracted someone. I freely admit that when I was aboard Zuko's ship, I was immensely attracted to him. For some reason, and I can't truthfully answer this, I'm not sure why I found his temper to be quite amusing, or even why I tolerated it at all. Fire Lord Zuko eventually lost his temper when he joined Avatar Aang in his quest to stop Fire Lord Ozai, and I suppose when he became a reasonably justified, morally whole person was when I sort of "lost" that attraction. On the ship, Zuko's temper was unpredictable, which was all part of the fun. If I was told to return to my life of mundane prosperity, I probably would have refused. After all, would you have thought it would be better to return to the home of nothing-ness after being in a full-out fight with a group of villagers?

I thought not.

Prince Zuko did humor me with my request to learn basically all that he knew about combat. I had left the Fire Nation before I learned any true fighting moves from my father, Azula, or really anybody. What I told you about how I "threw Zuko overboard" was how I dealt with a physical fight. You know I speak the truth because I handled the situation similarly when the Fire Nation soldiers attacked me at the shore: all mind power.

At sunrise, Zuko and I started my training in hand-to-hand combat. I could trust his teachings, for I believed that he learned most of his skill from General Iroh. Zuko briefly informed his uncle about his decision to mentor me, and although General Iroh treated it like some make-shift date, I considered the concept to be intriguing.

It took me an entire day to master the basic steps. The reason being was that Zuko's patience was strained. This wasn't really his fault either. Like I mentioned before, my mind is dominated by the fight response; I was born to use to powers in place of hand-to-hand fights, to put it politely. During the walkthrough of an offensive move, I would follow through with little complication; the same with the defense. However, when Zuko and I tested what I had learned, it was automatic response from me that a table would fly in between us. If I can recall correctly, Zuko's hand might have smashed about three tables in an hour. A fourth he destroyed out of simple frustration when it flew in front of me while he was showing me how his Firebending was controlled through motivation: in this circumstance, it was coincidentally anger.

Soldiers had been watching from the helm, for it had been Zuko's orders that no matter what happened, they weren't supposed to interfere. Iroh, who had been occupied for the day in feasting and otherwise meditating, had emerged from the Captain's cabin to witness Zuko and me facing off in an accomplished battle of wits.

Zuko's impatience resulted in a skirmish between him and me. He grew angry with me; and my stress stimuli reacted upon accordance to the situation. He shot arcs of red and yellow fire in my direction; a sword flung from my belt and blocked my face from Zuko's incoming hand, which clung loudly against his scallops.

Iroh appeared between us, grabbing Zuko's wrist and my shoulder, and he pushed us apart. The sword that hovered in front of me collapsed to the deck in finality. Iroh turned to Zuko.

"So this is how you train a recruit, Prince Zuko?"

"She's absolutely frustrating!" Zuko said furiously. "It's her stupid magic that stops me from teaching her correctly!"

"That stupid magic," I said irritably, "just disarmed you five times in a row, _Prince _Zuko!"

Iroh clung to his nephew's shoulders as Zuko started for me with gritted teeth.

"No, Zuko!"

"Why do you take her side, Uncle?"

"Because, nephew, she mastered your arts skillfully," he said with reason. "Don't you understand? You taught her what took me weeks to teach you in 24 hours. It's nearly dusk, and she's managed to fight you and _win_ at every turn!"

"She hasn't beaten me," said Zuko angrily.

"It's not a competition, Zuko," I said incredulously. "You did what I asked you to do. Your uncle is right."

"Is he?" said Zuko. He pushed General Iroh aside and confronted me. "If I hit you now, would you be able to counteract my attack, Mura, or would your mind fight against it so that you wouldn't have to?"

"You really don't like my gift, do you?" I said coldly, folding my arms across my chest.

"What's the point of me teaching you hand-to-hand combat and if your telekinesis interferes?" he challenged, waving his arms at me in frustration. "If somebody attacks you from every side, how will you fight that if you can't concentrate? You told me that you can't handle several things at a time—"

"Well, I certainly _handled_ you, didn't I?" I snapped at him.

Iroh winced as we started to fight again. The soldiers at the helm murmured under their breaths in obvious disapproval and shock. Zuko apparently caught the gist of what they were saying; he pushed me aside and rounded on them,

"Hey! If any of you have something to say to me, you say it to my face! Well!"

No one answered him.

"Zuko," I called after him as he started to walk away. "Zuko, I swear—"

Iroh grabbed me from around the waist and pulled me out of the way as a giant ball of blazing flames shot in my direction. I looked up to see Zuko glare at me as he crossed the threshold of the deck. I slammed my hand through the air furiously; the door shut violently behind him.

General Iroh ordered politely for the soldiers to retire to their quarters. He helped me to my feet and scorned at the scorched, black soot on the deck of the boat with a frown on his face. He patted my back consolingly. According to Iroh, when I asked him about that day, he said that I had the most pained look on my face after Zuko and I had a fight. Iroh didn't ask me to go to Zuko's quarters and apologize. To General Iroh, he still believed that Zuko had taught me well, and that it was all in a day's work. It had been an accomplishment for the Fire Lord's son, even if Zuko disagreed.

Iroh made tea for he and myself on the deck of the Fire Nation ship. For several moments, we sat in silence. I thought it was a peaceful relationship that Iroh and I shared. We had a few things in common, despite our age difference. A common love for the simple things in life was what he shared: tea, a seat in front of a full moon, a nature's walk, music night, a good song, or the frivolity of a delightful conversation. I loved Iroh's personality. He was a comforting bed in the middle of a rocky storm.

"He likes you," said Iroh with a smile, and he sipped his tea. I almost spat mine all over the place when he said it. He laughed when he saw my reaction.

"_What?_" I said, delayed by a fit of coughing.

"Zuko. He likes you," Iroh repeated.

"You have _got_ to be kidding," I said, though I had smiled at that.

"Many things aggravate my nephew, Mura," said General Iroh, "but never have I seen anything infuriate him more than you; especially at the going rate of what you've been doing."

"He tried to burn me," I said doubtfully.

"He's a boy, Captain," Iroh said, once more sipping his tea. "No man wants to be humiliated in front of his crew, especially of the one doing the humiliating is a girl who mastered the arts faster than he did."

"That doesn't put in a good light, General," I said uneasily.

"Oh," he said with stumped realization. "No, it doesn't, but you know what I mean. Mura, you are—by far—the most interesting person that I've met who has come aboard this ship. And your—uh—'stupid magic' is quite impressive as well. Prince Zuko finds it intimidating that you have such raw power…"

"_Raw_ power. I have it under control." I argued, offended.

"Ah, Mura, you know that I didn't mean that." Iroh said knowingly. "You and Zuko are not too different, you know. You can't stand to be humiliated by the other; and, uh, you both have nasty tempers."

"I have mine under control. His is all over the place."

"Mura, you and Zuko had a verbal spat in front of ten or twenty guards; he Firebended at you. _You slammed the door behind him._ If I hadn't stopped it, do you think either of you would have stopped?"

I considered his argument. I consider it now too. He was right, of course; but I wanted to believe that I was the one in control. However, it was obvious that I wasn't. Through our training, every time my defenses were lowered and I tried to allow Zuko to test my ability to dodge his blows, I reacted offensively, counteracting them.

However, come to think of it, I _was_ born into the Fire Nation; and Fire Nation members had nasty tempers, which was the source of their power. Zuko channeled his rage through his bending, to his uncle's disapproval; and my powers were connected to provocation. During training, Zuko's anger was fueled by my telekinesis, which provoked me subconsciously. Seriously, our pairing could not have been more misguided.

"How do you know that he likes me, General Iroh?" I asked the wise, old man. "He doesn't talk about me, does he?"

"Actually, he does," Iroh said.

"What does he say?" I asked curiously.

I saw the apple of his cheeks turn pink.

"Nothing that would be accepted to be heard from my mouth," Iroh returned truthfully.

"If he talks trash, General, why do you say that it's a form of flattering?"

"Mura, my dear, you have a lot to learn about boys." Iroh chuckled. "He cares for you; and you, for him. I'm right about that, aren't I?"

"Of course."

"See, am I good or what? Now, drink your tea." Iroh said. "Want to play a game of Pai Shoi?"


	9. A Lesson from the Dragon of the West

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Nine: A Lesson from the Dragon of the West

The lieutenant of the ship, Lt. Jee, was the ranked officer above me, but the officer below Zuko. Although I was named Captain, Prince Zuko treated me with special treatment; in other words, Lt. Jee was the fourth person to learn of the change of course in the journey (by definition, the order was Zuko, Iroh, me, then Lt. Jee). General Iroh was more or less Zuko's advisor in his mission, and although Zuko abided by his uncle's proposals about 76% of the time, it was Iroh's advise that kept the crew from killing Zuko (and possibly me as well).

Although I was shocked to learn that Prince Zuko had any emotional attachment to me at all, it didn't change my view on him. Even to this day, although my feelings for him are still within rekindling range (and this might be the only time that he learns about it), I admire his courage and bravery, his aggression and brooding demeanor; and if, I should be so bold to admit it to a jury of _everyone_, I might have enjoyed flaring his temper a little if I wanted him to feel a little more than just irritated. Zuko's ambition was focused on catching the Avatar, and I considered the entire mission to be literally out of focus; however, I decided that it was quite an honor to serve the Fire Lord's son…Even if it meant enduring his moodiness on the ship.

General Iroh had tried to persuade Zuko to continue to mentor me through disarming Firebenders (should I be attacked by a rival's Fire Nation navy) but Zuko refused to be humiliated again before a crew. Well, that's not what Zuko said; more or less, it was what Iroh had told me after he came from back from Zuko's quarters.

On a peaceful afternoon, General Iroh proposed to get back on the bow of the ship, and he offered me a place on the side of the railing to sit. General Iroh believed that although I traveled with a group of Firebenders, it was wise for me to understand how they brought about their power, much like how Zuko and the rest of them knew about mine. General Iroh wanted me to have a fair field advantage in case there was a mutiny on board, or—if it should happen—that we became separated and I was captured by Zuko's rival—I would have a fighting chance. Looking back, I imagine that General Iroh considered me to be 'Zuko's girlfriend'; either that or he treated me like his own daughter.

"Fire," began Iroh calmly as he handed me a cup of Ginseng tea, "is the element of power, consisting of overpowering force, which is tempered by the unflinching will to accomplish tasks and desires. However, the recently militaristic Fire Nation twisted this into Firebending being fueled by rage, hate, and anger."

"So you agree that it's all about breath control, Mm?" I asked with a curious smile.

"That's what it's all been about, my dear," he drawled. "As I tell Zuko several times during _his_ training sessions, Firebending should draw power from the sun and the breath, for the first human Firebenders derived their Firebending techniques from the dragons."

He smiled deviously at me for a minute.

"You might think you have Zuko figured out, Captain; however, his power is not _just_ powered by his anger. Just as your mind is more stable when you have had a good night's rest, our capabilities are enhanced when we're in a warmer climate."

"How warm?" I asked curiously. "If I set Zuko in the balmy springs, would that make him feel better?"

He laughed.

"Try the equator."

He gave me an amused smile when I said nothing in return. When I did, all I came out with was,

"You're kidding…aren't you?"

"No, Mura, I'm serious. Why else do you think we're flourishing in the summer time? Firebenders rise with the sun; Waterbenders rise with the moon. A Waterbender's skills are enhanced especially during a full moon; it's also the right time for a very extraordinary Waterbender to Bloodbend."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, Mura, did you think that you were the only one who could move bodies at will?"

I stared at him.

"You're serious…"

"Bloodbending is a very macabre ability for the naturally peaceful Water Tribe members of the Northern and Southern borders, Mura; but it's been done, and there are only a select few who could testify to being a victim." Iroh said gravely.

I felt the initial reaction to gag. I requested for Iroh to move on before I became seasick with the tide.

"Firebenders struggle during the extreme cold," Iroh continued. "As we near icy waters, it will be a harder demonstration for those less equally skilled in mastering the art of Firebending. A few soldiers aboard will be weakened by the cold. You could use this to the best of your ability."

"That doesn't exactly help me on this ship, General Iroh," I said with little joy. "Half of these men have mastered their skill in breath of fire."

"You won't have to worry about that; you've beaten Zuko when he was Firebending. Mura, when you fight, you don't depend on defense or offense. According to you and my nephew, when you're threatened, the mind reacts accordingly. I imagine that when you do fight my nephew, you've grown accustomed to his fighting style that your defenses automatically predict to what he's going to do.

"The Firebending style is ninety-five offenses and five percent defense. As are many Firebenders, the art of our bending is very confrontational. Aggression and continuous assault increase the victory of a battle, but there is a lack of defense in the form. The nature of the fight consumes a vast amount of energy, leaving the bender considerably tired in a prolonged battle.

"Zuko had been training you for 24 hours yesterday. He hasn't mastered control, so he cannot fight _all day long._ Even during my siege of Ba Sing Se, six-hundred days of fighting can really tire a man."

He sipped his tea.

"Poor breath control and the complete lack of control all together can seriously damper a Firebender's spirit and his ability. Just as I instruct Zuko, true Firebending power comes not from the physical size and strength of a man, but rather from the very control of one's breath. Firebender discipline stresses self-restraint and breath control as a means of directing and containing the fire manifested. Poor breath control means dangerously poor control of any fire generated. That's why you often see Zuko meditating, as well as me."

"And the lack of discipline?" I inquired casually.

"Poor self-control," he said with a sigh. "Though anger and rage can amplify the power of Firebending, it can lead to dangerous explosions or wildfires and can also cause any nearby flames to burn out of control. A wild temper in a Firebender is extremely dangerous," Iroh explained. He gazed at me considerately. "I know that you antagonize my nephew to get a rise from him, but it influences the other soldiers that they can do the same."

He patted my arm.

"You might have to be the voice of the crew if Zuko refuses to listen to me."

I shook my head out right.

"That isn't my place." I said. "He's over me, and Lt. Jee needs to be the one who speaks to Prince Zuko if there is a problem on board."

"But he trusts_ you,_" Iroh said gently. "I have seen him speak to you on occasion when it isn't business-related. Even if you're a criminal in the Fire Nation, here on Earth Kingdom waters, you're one of his better skilled companions. My nephew is a very temperamental man, but he has his values in order. He cares for his family; just as I am sure that he cares for you."

"Prince Zuko is interested in capturing the Avatar," I said nervously. "He's not interested in fashioning a date."

If the audience is still with me, I have to add to this little scene that when General Iroh and I spoke about Zuko, it was of the quietest situations where no one else could hear. The memory is still a tad bittersweet, owing to the fact that Fire Lord Zuko is married to a woman named Mai. However, I cannot blame him: she's very beautiful, even if her personality is "just a big blah". If you ask Fire Lord Zuko about the nature of our relationship on our journey, he wouldn't deny that there was possible romance. In a relative stance, we shared the same ideals and ambitions; and although we often clashed, it would have been different if we got along so well. Our impatience for the other might have drawn us together as loyal partners. However, this story isn't about my relationship with Zuko.

Up until now, I have given detailed descriptions of a few examples of my days of what it was like to serve Prince Zuko during his search for the Avatar. I want you to know that Prince Zuko was not a cruel boy. This does not mean that he was incapable of cruelty.

This story, after all, revolves around my treason against the Fire Nation and the three other nations that coincided in my betrayal, even if I believe that all was in my good favor or that I had my companions' best interest at heart. As I've been told as you certainly have heard as well: the path of righteousness is wrought with good intentions.

I will describe the first encounter of the Avatar in the next chapter.


	10. The Avatar

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Ten: The Avatar

To the jury, the defense, (and of course, my prosecutors), I always have felt a devotion to Prince Zuko then, and Fire Lord Zuko now. When I left the Fire Nation, I set my standards for a Firebender on the way he performed in front of others, his mannerisms, and his overall personality. So when I say that my loyalty through the journey belonged to the highest bidder, this doesn't point to the person who carries the most weight on their ship. I have mentioned several times Azula's name, and sometimes I coin her with a fondness that would presume that I like her: I don't. I never have. However, I respect Princess Azula's power and recognition of a fine enemy; she is, by far, the best liar I have ever seen. Although she was incredibly cruel, sadistic, and a terrible family member, Azula has her moments where she appears most vulnerable. She won't admit this, but it's true. My point is this: my devotion was to Prince Zuko because (1) I admit that I had honest, romantic feelings for him, (2) he was a far better candidate for a leader than Azula or Commander Zhao, and (3) sometimes, he was funny.

General Iroh hadn't been the only one who could tell that Zuko and I connected on a similar basis. Lt. Jee made a point to me that if Zuko had to throw anybody overboard, it would be the crew first then I would be last. Iroh, however, believed that Zuko valued me as both a friend and crew member because I was not a simple-minded soldier. Iroh speculated occasionally that Prince Zuko and I got along for the most part because we were, in a word, unique. He and I both had our problems, though I didn't see mine as a horrible destiny.

I was the only one of 'my kind', and although some would look at that as a terrible extinction of a brilliant power, I simply saw it as my own way of becoming an individual. Nevertheless, Prince Zuko—according to Iroh—saw my gift for what it was: an upper hand against the Avatar.

In my own right, I wasn't the most innocent person on board. I had my occasional mischief. It's the little practical jokes that I'm talking about; and if some of you could do what I could do, I'm certain you wouldn't have resisted. During meal times, I levitated plates and bowls off tables and let the soldiers chase after them. Knives and forks would simply appear in places that they weren't before. Switching the salt in place of the pepper when someone was just about to reach for it was probably the best trick in the book. Naturally, I did these things to relieve the tension on the ship since Prince Zuko hadn't learned how to respect his hard-working crew or his esteemed uncle. Lt. Jee inwardly disrespected him, calling him a spoiled, pampered, palace brat on a few occasions. I understand his angry murmurs, but still—it simply wasn't nice.

We sailed on Earth Kingdom waters for three days and found nothing; so Prince Zuko ordered the helmsman to make a course toward Southern Water Tribe waters, searching—or rather _reaching—_for a heading. During our stay on the ship, I understood Iroh's meaning about how their bending was more difficult along the icy waters. I had spent the better part of my life in a mid-climate paradise on a beach, so my adaptation was lacking as the climate cooled and the deck was no longer fit for bare feet.

The nights, too, seemed longer and the days grew shorter.

Prince Zuko and I had made up since our last argument or two, though to be honest, keeping track was more difficult than tracking the master of all four elements. It was as if every other day, Prince Zuko and I clashed; however, I digressed, realizing that arguing with my superior officer was not a respectful thing to do. Even though our arguments were in my frame of right and wrong, I didn't want to antagonize him.

I admired his courage and discipline, even if he gave his father way too much credit.

It was day light when he came to call on me while I was doing my own meditation.

When a telekinetic meditates, it is not unlike the fables that are spoken through mythology or urban legends. I am very aware that when I do meditate, I actually hover a few inches off the ground. The crossed legs, the so-called "Uummmm" is very true in my case. Like the Firebenders that control the lit flames of candles, my powers take gentle hold of the objects that are in the area around me. When Zuko came inside my room, my possessions hovered inches off the ground as well.

Later in life, Zuko—and actually the rest of Team Avatar—told me that although they thought that my powers were quite ominous and had a witch's touch, they considered my gift to be miraculous sometimes. Though, I was informed that my defense with my gifts make me appear to be a very bad sorceress, just as the Avatar looks frightening when he is in the Avatar State. According to Zuko, when my defenses are enabled, I have the illusion of one being a winged creature, mystical and fascinating while at the same time being daunting and dark.

According to Iroh, I am a goddess and a demon at the same time during my defense state because my mind reacts to negative and positive energy: I protect the ones that matter and scorn the ones that don't. It's quite an elegant system, though a bit tyrannical, I gather.

Zuko's presence was quiet and cat-like, and I wouldn't have realized that he had been standing for there for five minutes if I hadn't felt him there. While Earthbenders like Toph Beifong can feel vibrations in their limbs from approaching enemies or friends, my spatial sense gives me the awareness of being watched. You can see why I'm paranoid, since that's the feeling that I get if anything or anyone is within ten feet of me.

"Prince Zuko," I said gently, "you can come in whenever you want."

The objects in my room relaxed to the floors, and rose to my feet to approach him.

He looked a little startled,

"I, uh, didn't mean to disturb you."

"You didn't. I knew you were for there for only a few minutes."

"You're needed up on deck. Follow me."

"_Needed?_" I expressed jubilantly.

Zuko said nothing in return as I stepped onto the landing.

The icy air bit me through the garments, and although I wore the appropriate clothing, I was not exactly the best person to fight off bitter wind from the tips of the icebergs. Zuko glanced over his shoulder as I froze on the spot. Because I wasn't a Firebender, living in the artic was like trying to stay warm with shorts and a shirt during flurries. This description obviously explains why I couldn't move, despite the understanding that circulation is needed to become warm again.

When I told this to Zuko, he came back to me and set his hands on my shoulders.

I frowned.

"What are you doing?"

He looked at me with a bored expression on his face.

"Why do you have to question everything I do?"

"Well, no offense, sir, but sometimes your good ideas are rash."

He grunted with disinterest.

There was a light _poof_ noise that gently exploded from his fingertips; fire exclaimed from them. For a moment, I thought that he had set me on fire because I felt sudden heat swarm my entire body; however, considering the fact that I wasn't suffering harsh sunburn, I realized the evidence. Prince Zuko helped me out there, and I was grateful.

He indicated the cloudless skies, the icebergs that peeked out generously from the surface of a deep, blue body of ocean.

"I need more eyes on the outside in case there's a sign of the Avatar."

I silently questioned the eyes of his uncle. When I searched the deck, I was barely through the sentence of asking Zuko aloud when I found General Iroh seated on the deck under a low table, playing a card game involving the elements. I assumed it was like what foreigners call "_Solitaire"_ though I have to admit, why anyone would play a game that implicated an eternity of solitude. I digressed from that thought and walked away from Zuko to sit by General Iroh, who poured himself a cup of tea. When he realized that I was beside him, he poured me one.

"Why aren't you down in your bedroom, meditating?" he asked me curiously. His eyes drew away from his cards and turned to me. "Isn't that what you do, now that we're in this blanket of wonderland?"

"Wonderland? It's all ice." I said firmly.

"Oh, walking in a wonderland is not always _ice_. A traveler enjoys a walk no matter what the climate is: from the warming heat of a sea of hot coal to the tundra of an icy blanket," he said with awe and he nudged me in the ribs, "it's all _cool_, isn't it?"

He gave me a wide, kooky smile.

"You're a real au natural man, aren't you?"

"I'm a man of simple tastes, my dear," he said.

Zuko clicked his tongue in my direction. I rose to my feet and stood beside him.

"What is it?"

"Keep a look out," Zuko said seriously. "We need to be vigilant if ever we're going to find the Avatar."

"An old man in this neck of the woods?" I asked sardonically. "How is that possible, Prince Zuko?"

It came from a distance across a shore; a blast exploded somewhere along the same area and from the horizon shot a light shaft into the sky. Zuko and I stopped talking immediately, and our eyes found it with astonishment. For a moment, I thought we were under attack. Zuko pulled a hand across my arms as I started to get ready to fight back. The light shaft penetrated the sky with ultimate demonstration. My next assumption was Zuko's, and he strongly believed that this was finally it.

"_Finally_," he breathed.

He turned behind him and said with so much earnest that I had never heard before,

"Uncle, do you realize what this means?"

Iroh remained calm.

"That I won't be able to finish my game?"

"It means my search—it's about to come to an end."

Iroh groaned. Zuko approached him adamantly.

"That light came from an incredibly powerful source—it _has_ to be him!"

"We've been down this road, Prince Zuko," Iroh retorted collectively, continuing to move his domino-like objects on the low table. He looked up at his nephew. "The last time that you and I thought that we found the Avatar, we came upon her"—the General indicated me with the cup of tea in his other hand.

Zuko glanced at me swiftly and frowned at General Iroh.

"It could have been the celestial lights," Iroh continued. "I don't want you to get excited over nothing. Please, sit." He patted the opposite site of the table. I merely watched from my seat at the edge of the bow.

I'm not sure how the other relatives of the Fire Nation interacted, but it was a special entertainment of mine to watch Zuko and Iroh converse: temperamental nephew versus calm-collected (and humorous) uncle.

Zuko gritted his teeth behind his lips as his uncle continued with such a relaxed tone,

"Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming Jasmine tea?"

"_I don't need any calming tea!"_ Zuko exploded in anger, turning around to snap at his uncle, who wasn't fazed by his nephew's outburst. I, however, almost fell off the ship from his sudden whip around, and decided that it was a better idea to keep both feet on the deck.

"I need to capture the Avatar!" said Zuko. "_Helmsman,_ head a course for the light!"

Turning course, the ship jerked viciously in the other direction. Zuko, Iroh, and I jolted in our step as we kept balance in the frame. The sudden movement urged the tea kettle by Iroh to fall to the deck, which spilled his precious tea all over the place. He sighed, crestfallen.

It was midday, and there was no other sign of the light or the Avatar. I resigned to sitting by the table with my head in my hand, curious to know just how long Zuko was willing to outlast the sun. Iroh was still playing his game.

"Captain Mura," he addressed me, pulling me out of my reverie; he smiled at me when he realized that I had been watching Zuko this whole time. "When you lived on that island, how did you last for four years in solitude?"

"Animal friends," I said loosely, shrugging.

"What is it peaceful?" he asked me.

It was like he was asking me for a recommendation of a good vacation. He might as well have; unlike Zuko, he treated Zuko's banishment like an extended vacation. I thought the whole act was amusing, but still, the questions were quite random.

"Yes…" I answered uncertainly.

"What kind of food did you eat?"

I smiled, amused.

"Sir, are you hungry?"

"Actually, yes. When is dinner?" he said to himself as he rose to his feet. He went to ask the cook about the dinner times and the menu.

"Your uncle is a different sort of man, isn't he?" I said, still amused.

"Mhm," Zuko muttered, staring ahead.

I sighed.

I understood his malcontent for the entire journey at sea; however, I didn't like Prince Zuko to be so melancholy all the time. I walked up beside him.

"Zuko. Look at me."

He begrudgingly did so, frowning all the way.

"Tell me the truth, and don't lie to me because I'll know," I said, smiling, "but I was told by a little birdie that you and I could be something of an 'item'."

Nothing fazed him.

"What makes you say that?"

"How much you toil with me, how much we argue—I wasn't exactly the most popular girl in the Fire Nation, but I could tell that you and I connected on a level."

"Not much of a level." Zuko stated coldly.

I clicked my tongue; he glanced at me oddly.

"You're lying to me," I sighed, poking his chest. "I can tell."

"Perhaps you're losing your touch," Zuko retorted, though he met my eyes when he said it. I didn't know if that meant anything, but if it did, it didn't last long. He turned away from me almost instantly and returned his attention to the setting sun in the horizon. It was nearing night time, and there wasn't another sign of the Avatar. I waited with him in silence, simply lost in thought that if we were together, there might have been some chemical romance blossoming in the otherwise cold savannah.

At any rate, the moment deafened as General Iroh, fatigued at the incessant waiting, pulled back his muscles, stretched, and approached Zuko tiredly,

"I'm going to bed now."

He made an exaggerated yawn. I suppressed a smile. He was funny, but sometimes, I thought he made his humor known on purpose to get a rise out of his nephew. At any rate, he said pointedly,

"A man needs his rest. Zuko, you need some sleep. If you're right and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, your grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed."

"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over."

Iroh didn't reply to this; at this point, Zuko was tired _and_ stubborn. You would have more success with beating a dead horse more than persuading Zuko to get some sleep. General Iroh bided the two of us a good night; Lt. Jee and his men began the duty relief switch every four hours as usual.

I considered Iroh's words before, but Zuko's intent desperation to catch the master of hide-and-go-seek was, as I usually phrased this sort of obsession—admirable. However, standing at the bow wasn't doing either of any wonders.

I beckoned behind me.

Zuko saw my movement; he glanced over his shoulder to see two stools 'walking' toward us. He gave me a dull look. He was used to my little 'games', but I imagined that my 'witchcraft' was no longer a phenomenon. At least General Iroh and Prince Zuko had stopped becoming startled when a chair popped under the bottom when they were about to sit on air, or that knives and forks were sent in their direction as they sat down for their meals. Truthfully, all of it was amusing; however, six months at sea with me—you'd think you would get used to stuff like that.

Anyway, Prince Zuko indulged my quiet proposal. He sat down with a stiff back and crossed arms; I sighed tiredly, looking up at the stars to see them beaming down at us to light the night, along with the full moon in the sky.

He looked at me briefly, up to the sky, than back at me.

"You really are a very weird girl, aren't you?" he said dryly.

"Don't you think they're beautiful?" I asked curiously.

"They're stars, Mura. They're there every night. Why should this night be any different?" he responded negatively, waving his hand to the patches of ice and ocean.

"Because, high commander," I said sarcastically, "this time you have a headline."

He said nothing back.

"I know it's not much," I sighed, realizing what I said, "but it's better than your results in the last few weeks. This time, odds are that you won't be coming across a telekinetic who fancies you delicate determination." I rose to my feet. "Your uncle is right, though. You do need sleep. You can go mad without it. That's the last thing we need in the Fire Nation: an insane Firebender…"

And, right now, I just realized how ironic _that_ sentence is.

At any rate that I had tried to convince him to go to bed, apparently it worked.

When I woke up in the morning, Zuko was not on the deck. Lt. Jee greeted me as I walked pass him. He was rather more pleasant than usual, and I assumed this was true because Zuko was not awake.

"Nothing," he said to me as I passed him.

I turned to him.

"What?" I asked curiously.

He looked at me.

I returned that look.

"It's a simple question." I said with a smile.

"We didn't find anything else about the Avatar when you and Prince Zuko retired for the night. My men were on the alert: nothing."

"No worries," I said easily. "We're all still young. If the Avatar is meant to be found, we shall see him again."

In the late afternoon, Prince Zuko resumed his training with two other Firebenders. He was quite agile and fierce with his powers; Iroh supervised with a pursed frown on his face. I joined him at the waist, holding a poured cup of tea, and enjoyed watching Zuko face the two Fire Navy seamen.

"Again," Iroh said when I appeared beside him.

Prince Zuko drew fire from his hands at the guards, but missed. The guards counterattacked him with their own flame fists, but he dodged. Zuko back flipped over the guards, landed behind them, and threw boiling blasts at them.

I thought he did rather well, however Iroh sighed and rose to his feet.

"No!"

Zuko turned to look at him sternly.

"Power in Firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes _fire._" He demonstrated as he released a controlled plume of flames that exploded in front of Zuko but did not him. "Get it right this time."

"Enough. I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready."

"No," you are impatient. You have yet to master your basics." Iroh said forcefully, "_Drill it again."_

Zuko growled angrily and blasted one of the guards backwards with a gout of fire.

I was astounded by his outburst, but not too shocked about his reaction. As you may recall, he lashed out at me with Firebending before.

"The sages tell that the Avatar is the last Airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He has had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic Firebending to defeat him. You WILL teach me the advanced set!"

Iroh sighed. "Very well. But first I must finish my roast duck."

Zuko looked as if he might gag as Iroh pulled out a bowl of the potted meat from beside him and started to gobble it up hungrily.

Prince Zuko turned to me with an irritated look.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"Meditating." I answered sweetly. "Did you miss me?"

"Don't badger me, Captain."

Hands on hips, I approached him with a little attitude. I mean, really; what kind of afternoon greeting is that.

"Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, _Sir?_" I asked cynically. "Honestly, Prince Zuko, if you ever wish to have the respect of your crew, your attitude needs an adjustment."

"Ahh," Iroh's voice reproached from his seat of the view. "Don't bother him, Captain. He's just a little hot and bothered that his uncle is a starving old man."

"You won't be starving for a while, Uncle," said Zuko, indicating the primary weight factor in General Iroh's mid-section.

Iroh considered his nephew's statement then laughed, amused.

I turned to him.

"Did you get any sleep at all? You're awfully cranky for being a well-rested man."

"I am not _cranky_."

He turned to me full-bodily.

"Why are you meditating? You should be up here training with me—"

"I'm not a Firebender, Prince Zuko; therefore, training with you is abysmal."

Iroh stopped Zuko from exploding in my face.

"She does have a point, Nephew. The girl's talented as it is."

Zuko sighed, irritated.

"Fine, she's talented. Why are you pointed that out to me, Uncle? I know this."

"It's something to be brought up often…" Iroh said innocently.

He resumed his gorging on the roast duck.

It was about an hour before sunset that Zuko and I dressed for the evening (which by this, I obviously mean that neither of us were coated in Fire Nation armor, merely the customary robes for casual dress); and General Iroh had retired before the sun could set.

"So let me get this straight," I said starting up a conversation (Zuko looked away from his telescope momentarily to look at me), "so for a hundred years there has been _no_ Avatar."

"There has been," said Zuko, "but he's been hiding."

"For one-hundred years."

"Yes."

"So for all you know, this Avatar could have died once and returned as a new one; he can't be 100-years-old; he'd be absolutely useless…"

"Then catching him shouldn't be a problem," Zuko said. He straightened his back to give me his full attention. "You talk a lot, Mura. Maybe you should be looking at the horizon with me." He threw a mini-telescope to me. "Make yourself useful."

"Zuko, Zuko, Zuko, I _am_ useful," I said, standing beside him.

"And you also tease me a lot too," he added, disgruntled.

"That's because I'm annoying after six months on a stand-alone ship," I sighed frivolously, "and you're just too much fun."

He gave me a bored expression.

"Just _look_," he grabbed my telescope in my hands and made it a point for me not to talk anymore.

From the distance, a loud explosion came from the sky, though no light shined from it like the last time. Instead, brilliant signals flare shot into the clouds and fell down gracefully. Zuko and I were at alarm, recognizing the signal; we peered through our telescopes and searched for the landing.

Through mine, the signal flare landed on a nearby abandoned Fire Nation ship, covered in snow and ice on the shore of the Southern Water Tribe waters. However, that wasn't the reason why my mouth fell open in shock. From atop of the ship where the helmsman would have been located if a crew existed, there were two figures in the snow; one carried the other. The one who was doing the carrying made long, graceful jumps from the ships helm, to the deck, and down to the ground in three movements. The person didn't even slip as the two of them raced away from the ship.

Zuko sighed in relief and quiet triumph. I followed his gaze to a close by village surrounded by a weak, icy wall. The Southern Water Tribe resided there in the village: there was nothing else in the distance.

Zuko turned from the telescope and cried out to Lt. Jee,

"Wake my uncle! Tell him that I've found the Avatar…as well as his hide-out."

Zuko's face contorted in determination. He looked at me with a smirk.

I shrugged my shoulders,

"All right, you were right. The Avatar _does_ exist."

"He's quite agile for his age," he returned, examining the scene through the telescope.

"He probably gracefully aged…" I said with a sigh.

"That's what Uncle Iroh said to _you_," said Zuko.

"And that was a polite way of saying that I look older than what I am," I said, slightly deflated.

"It doesn't matter," said Zuko. "Not now anyway. Get ready to fight. Those people won't give us the Avatar so easily; and if anything should happen, you need to be ready to fight them off."

"Don't have the confidence in yourself, Prince Zuko?" I asked jokingly.

"They're probably quite a few them. They'll attack you if they don't know who you are." Zuko said in a careless tone. "I can fend for myself." He approached me. "Don't think any different, Captain."

"I can take care of myself too," I said after him. "I'm not innocent or anything."

Zuko shook his head and called back,

"Just do what I say!" then he added, "Why do girls have to be so complicated…?"


	11. Nothing Short of Amazing

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Eleven: Nothing Short of Amazing

Let me just say that when the Fire Nation attacks a small village, they make it point to the townspeople that they are they for one reason and one reason only: no negotiations, substitutions, reductions, or anything that would relate to a simple exchange. The Fire Nation is comparative to a high-class military with an overall tyrannical leader who is armed with prodigious skill and quite a heavy ego. Obviously, I'm referring the arrogant flake as Fire Lord Ozai and his sadistic troops of Fire Nation soldiers who believe them to be better than the other three Nations. That isn't the matter today; for Fire Lord Zuko is anything but a self, pampered palace prat and his Firebending soldiers are completely at ease and restful due to Avatar Aang's intervention of the imperial war between the Fire Nation and the three other nations. With that, it should suffice the matter when I explain that when our Fire Navy ship was making course to the small village of the Southern Water Tribe, I questioned Prince Zuko's intention to have two other soldiers (and me) come off the ship and corner the villagers.

Zuko was being prepared for battle; his men were helping him put on the customary armor for soldiers heading into battle. The soldiers who weren't occupied with dressing Zuko accompanied me on either side. Owing to the need that I was more than capable of dressing myself, they simply handed me my items of armor clothing and I put them on regularly.

I approached Zuko when the soldiers were no longer flanking us.

"Prince Zuko, with all due respect"—he glanced at me through his helmet—"why is it necessary to arm the entire fleet if we're confronting a small tribe of Waterbenders? They're mere villagers. They aren't the Waterbenders in the North Pole. They're common folk: regular people."

"Because if they are harboring the Avatar, they could be brave enough to stand up against the Fire Nation."

I stared at him.

"You mean to stand against your father—"

I crossed a line again when he rounded on me furiously,

"Don't talk to me like that!"

I grew accustomed to his angry outbursts, so I was not abashed by his explosion. I simply threw up my hands apologetically and attempted to make a smooth recovery.

"All I'm saying," I said gently, "is that those people down there are a small number, and allowing the _entire_ ship to walk off the ship to flank eight people is overkill."

He considered me shortly then turned to Lt. Jee who was waiting for further commands.

"Keep the men up here. I'll only need her," he said swiftly, followed by his indication of 'her'.

Lt. Jee looked at me briefly, glanced at the awakened Iroh, and then confronted Zuko.

"Why," he asked Prince Zuko patiently, "do you think that she's more adaptable than ten of your best soldiers?"

Zuko's eyes dilated indignantly.

"Are you questioning my orders, Lieutenant?"

"Honestly, Zuko," I said kindly, "I didn't mean that I was better than _all _of them, just that ten aren't needed against a village of common folk. General," I turned to Iroh for some back-up, "want to intervene on my part?"

Zuko started to look mighty irritated. Iroh shrugged.

"His ship, his crew. I'm just the advisor," he said innocently.

Zuko confronted Lt. Jee and me in finality,

"The captain comes with me, Lieutenant, and if you have an issue with that, I'll send you overboard." He frowned. "_That's_ what I think."

I didn't say much else after that. Prince Zuko beckoned me to follow him as the Fire Navy ship approached the shore. I glanced over the ship's edge to see a boy standing right on the shore, dressed in war make-up, holding a Water Tribe machete in his hands. I clicked my tongue to get Zuko's attention; he nodded his head in confirmation.

The Fire Navy ship went full steam ahead in the shore of the Water Tribe; it stopped when it crashed through the weak border. The warrior that was threatening to fight the huge ship was thrown aside by the power of the halt.

With a noise of metal on metal, the bowsprit of the ship opened and folded down onto the village's floor. The bowsprit is the huge gangplank that is responsible for disembarking Fire Nation troops from ship to shore. The steam that emitted from the metal cleared, and Zuko and I headed down the bowsprit. Behind us, the host of guards that were at first coming with us was ordered to stay back in case the villagers would get out of hand.

I thought this was a bit of an overkill, and the reason was this: as Zuko and I walked down to the shore, I counted fifteen people all together lined up in a row. About six of them were children, prepubescent, and they were cowering behind the older members of the water tribe. One of them was an elder; and two others were teenagers. The teenager Water Tribe warrior boy that had been foolish enough to stand in the way of the ship rose to his feet.

The warrior, of course, was Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, but at this point in time, I had no idea who he was. What I did know was that he wasn't exactly the brightest person that had ever crossed paths with a Fire Nation soldier, for he charged toward Zuko with an adolescent war cry. Zuko casually (and expertly) kicked his weapon out of his hand and then kicked him in the face. The warrior was sent sprawling off the side of the bowsprit.

The villagers drew back in fright and the ease with which their only warrior had been dispatched by Prince Zuko. As we reached the icy shore, Zuko addressed each citizen of the village,

"Where are you hiding him?"

I didn't expect any of them to answer, and what he received in response was fearful silence. He glanced at a female Water Tribe girl with pretty blue eyes and a head of beautiful brunette hair. Of course, the girl was Katara: once more, I didn't know who she was until much later in life. Zuko irritably glanced at her then to the elderly woman who stood beside the girl.

He reached for her and showed the villagers,

"He'd be about this age? _Master _of all elements!"

A brief pause gave him nothing, and he threw the elderly woman back to Katara.

With a cry of frustration, Prince Zuko launched a gout of flame over the villagers' heads; the response was unanimous as child and woman cowered in fear.

"I know you're hiding him!"

I was about to speak, to convince him that there was nothing here; however from behind us, Sokka rose to his feet, retrieved his weapon, and charged at Zuko with another warrior cry. Zuko turned to him in annoyance. He dodged Sokka's charges, flipped him over his head, and Zuko shot a fire blast at the warrior. Sokka rolled out of the way and threw a boomerang. I honestly have to say that I gave the boy some credit for his ambitious play in fighting for his village, but it was starting to get less amusing.

It also didn't help the cause when a little boy in the crow threw a spear to Sokka crying out in victorious cheer. Sokka charged Zuko again, who, as Sokka reached him, broke off pieces of the spear shaft with his wrist guards. He grabbed the spear, boinked Sokka on the forehead several times with it, broke it in half, and dropped the pieces in the ground.

Sokka rubbed his head. He looked at Zuko angrily; tried going after his machete.

I sighed irritably; although this had been fun from the start, the boy seriously needed to stay down. So I did what I did best, and persuaded the machete to climb out of the snow by itself. The villagers reacted as I had expected, and they gasped when the machete acted on its own. Sokka was flabbergasted as the machete flew to my hand.

"You need to stay down, boy," I drawled, pointing his machete at his chest.

He didn't move.

"Prince Zuko," I said, looking at my superior officer, "this has been fun, but the Avatar isn't—"

The boomerang that Sokka had thrown at Zuko performed its well-known action and rounded back behind Zuko and slammed into his head, which knocked his helmet off kilter. Furious, Zuko's hands spat fire, and he hovered over Sokka menacingly.

I found myself feeling that paranoid sense and apparently my instincts weren't off base. From behind us, before Zuko or I could do anything, I turned just in time (for my benefit) to dodge a kid who skyrocketed on penguin, staff in hand; he flew straight underneath Zuko, swept him off his feet, and he landed in front of me, butt up. His helmet landed on his behind in a suggestive manner.

Zuko pulled his face out of the snow and scurried to his feet.

"What good are your instincts if you don't tell me what's coming?" he said coldly, glaring at me. I frowned at him.

"The boy was coming at 70 miles per hour down a hill on a penguin; I'm a telekinetic, not a motion detector."

Zuko frowned at me for giving him attitude. I glanced behind him and urged him to turn around. Prince Zuko assumed the Firebending stance; I readied myself for an attack. The boy got to his feet, and as Zuko and I started to close in on him, the boy blew a gust of wind at the both us. Zuko shielded his face from the wind; my heart skipped a beat as I was pushed a foot from where I stood before.

And, ladies and gentlemen, that's when I learned that I could make a force field. From behind us, the guards that had stayed on the ship were blasted to the middle of the deck. I apparently had sustained enough power in my meditation to take off most of the damage from the boy's Airbending, hence the one foot slide.

Of course, this was the Avatar, Aang, and at first, even I disbelieved it until Aang said boldly, staff in his hands,

"Looking for me?"

"You're the Airbender?" said Zuko incredulously. "You're the Avatar?"

I stepped out of the ring. If it was any other situation, I'd have helped Zuko in fighting an Airbender; however, the Avatar was Zuko's quest, and I wasn't part of that. The Avatar glanced at me suspiciously. I obviously doubted his powers; he couldn't have been over the age of 12.

Zuko and Aang maneuvered for position against the other in the middle of the village that had become an arena.

"I've spent years preparing for this encounter: training, meditating." Zuko said, "You're just a child!"

The Avatar gave Zuko a look,

"Well, you're just a teenager."

I know there are quite a few things that can make a person angry, but I have to say that when Avatar Aang said that little comment, I'm pretty sure it sent Prince Zuko over the edge. Prince Zuko mostly absorbed all my sarcastic comments merely because (1) I made myself useful and (2) he liked me; but still, sardonic attitudes from others spurred his temper like pouring oil on a bonfire.

Zuko erupted with fire blast after fire blast. Avatar Aang cried out in surprised, hard-pressed, and frightened. Aang dissipated each blast by twirling his staff in front of him like a shield; although his efforts were much appreciated by his own safety, the fire didn't extinguish, but merely threw the flames elsewhere. The fires reached the villagers, and they cried out in horror. It was obvious then that the Avatar couldn't protect them all, so he surrendered.

"If I go with you," said Aang defiantly, "will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

Zuko straightened and nodded stiffly. Zuko indicated for me to take the Avatar's staff.

I already felt a little uneasy around the so-called Master of all Elements, merely because he simply was too old to be able to master all the elements. I convinced the Avatar's staff to slide out of his hands and fly to me into mine. Aang gasped slightly as it came to me.

You have no idea how many times it has been assumed that I am an Airbender because I can do these sort of 'illusions'. Airbenders, like Avatar Aang, can swipe things toward them that aren't made of elements, such as mattresses or staffs. It still surprises me how many people think I am the second to last Airbender. Truthfully, it's flattering, but no—I'm not an Airbender. I'm a telekinetic, and that is all.

And apparently, I look older than what I appear. At sixteen, I age the appearance of a twenty-year-old, according to General Iroh and Lieutenant Jee.

At any rate, Aang surrendered and came with Zuko and me on the bowsprit, despite Katara's objections. Aang assured her that he was going to be all right asked her to take care of 'Appa' until he came back.

Of course, when I was on the ship, traveling with Prince Zuko, I had no idea who this Appa was. I assumed it was the penguin upon which he had been riding upon his arrival. Obviously, it was his giant (and friendly) flying bison.

"Head a course to the Fire Nation," Zuko ordered Lt. Jee. "I'm going home."

I held onto Aang's monk hood as we boarded the ship; the bowsprit rose back up, closed, and snapped back into place. Upon the foredeck of the ship, General Iroh joined Zuko, Aang, and me. Aang's hands were bound behind him, facing Zuko and Iroh.

"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father," said Zuko, observing it in his hands. "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks. Take the Avatar to the prison hold. And"—he handed the staff to a prison guard—"take _this_ to my quarters."

Zuko glanced my way.

"You, come with me."

I frowned at General Iroh who shrugged.

"I'm in trouble," I moaned and walked away.

The prison guard had placed the staff in the middle of the room. Zuko and I entered simultaneously. He looked at me expectantly.

"You're irritated about the Avatar arriving unexpectedly, aren't you?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest.

"You said you could sense others."

"_Sense,_ as in feel presence around me. The boy came in at very high—and impressive—velocity, Zuko. It's as comparative as being hit with a car: that's how I knew he was there."

"You deliberately dodged."

"It's my instinct to dodge something that's coming straight at me," I said dryly. "And—"

I stopped immediately.

Zuko stared at me.

That feeling of being watched crept through my stomach like an oozing liquid. I stared at him curiously. There was a vibrating in the atmosphere, and as I stood there in front of him, I felt it coming closer. Zuko stared at me. I gestured for him to get behind the door.

A young voice cried out,

"My staff!"

As I had expected, it had been a human who was coming through the corridors at a fast pace. The Avatar apparently had come free of his bonds, and he ran inside the room so fast, aiming for his staff.

Zuko slammed the door shut.

"Looks like I underestimated you," said Zuko.

After a brief pause, Zuko began blasting fire at Aang, who barely dodged any of them. He gasped, terrified, and panted to catch his breath. Aang rolled underneath Zuko to get behind him. By staying behind him, Zuko was unable to blast him. Zuko turned immediately behind him, threw fireballs at him like mad.

I'm actually surprised to let you know that Zuko didn't light the entire room on fire. General Iroh was right about Zuko; that man had little to do with breath control, for he flew his fire blasts madly around them to catch Aang. I was dodging Zuko as often as Aang, who created an air scooters and rode around the on the walls, ceiling, all the time getting licked by the gouts of fire that Zuko unleashed upon him.

"Zuko!" I cried out irritably when one of his uncontrolled flamethrowers almost caught me on the shoulder. "Stop him!"

Zuko grunted in frustration as Aang rode in circles along the perimeter of the room.

"You—catch—him!" Zuko roared at me. "Focus in—on him—!"

I couldn't do what he wanted me to because as light-footed as the Avatar was, the boy was going so fast around the room that I could barely keep track of him. I had to concentrate a little harder on human bodies to fully keep them from moving, and the bugger was going so fast, I couldn't even spot him. Though I did attempt to stop Aang from leaving the room by levitating the pieces of furniture within the walls. Incidentally, Zuko and Aang were dodging the lamps, banners, and decorative objects that flew at them in constant disarray.

Zuko grew furious with the entire fiasco in the room and drew a heavy fire jet from his foot, terminating the Avatar's scooter, which sent him propelling the air and landing hard into the door. He recuperated quickly, grabbed a tapestry off the wall, and wrapped up Zuko as he passed. Zuko struggled against it; Aang grabbed his staff. Zuko broke through his bonds and once more, they squared off against each other.

After a few seconds of maneuvering, Aang Airbended a mattress up off the floor and it slammed into Zuko; it propelled him against the opposite wall—then smashed Zuko up into the ceiling.

The mattress and Zuko fell to the ground. Aang threw open the door and before I could try to stop him, he Airbended me into Zuko's bed side table.

Zuko growled angrily as he rose to his feet.

I pulled myself up and followed him up to the deck hatch of the floor. As we were leveled onto the bridge's observation deck, I saw Aang open his glider, threw it up into the air, and jumped after it. Zuko turned to me immediately.

"Throw me in the air!"

"What?"

"Do it!"

What he wanted me to do—and what I did do—was to concentrate entirely on his body's mass and weight and literally throw him off the observation deck. It's very much in comparison to that of acting like a catapult. This relates to my prior notifications about my ability to move greater masses: the light the object, the easier it is to accommodate its relative levitation.

I threw down my hand as if I was pitching a ball; Zuko went flying into the air as if an invisible foot had kicked him off the side of a cliff. Zuko grabbed Aang's foot in a fierce cry of desperation. They fell to the foredeck with a marvelous crash. They squared off again.

From behind us, I turned to see a flying bison gaining on the ship.

"What is that?" Zuko said loudly.

I jumped down from the observation deck and joined Zuko. The guards came up to help.

Zuko barricaded the Avatar with several fireballs; the staff was knocked out of his hand. And he was pushed off the side of the boat from Zuko's unleashed Firebending.

The boy fell over into the water below. Zuko and I went to the edge.

"Awesome," I said sarcastically. "You managed to throw your ticket home into the water."

"Will you," said Zuko in frustration, "shut up for once?"

From the flying bison, Katara screamed his name, crying out in hysterics.

And this was, I declare, the first time that I had ever seen Avatar Aang—or any other Avatar for that matter—fall into the Avatar State. It was by far the scariest thing imaginable, and—later on—I was told that Aang's becoming into the Avatar State was not too stretched from the description of what I looked like when I was in my all-powerful defense state. Of course, in both stages, the Avatar and I are at our most vulnerable.

From below the Fire Navy ship, the Avatar turned in the water and began to rise toward the surface. Around him, a mighty whirlpool of water formed; he broke through the surface; the Avatar's eyes and tattoos glowed white, and he broke through the surface in front of our ship, towering over us—high above the bridge atop his swirling maelstrom. I had never felt more afraid in my life; I turned to Zuko, who looked up into the swirling column of water and at the Avatar at its pinnacle with dismay and fear.

Aang landed on the deck, eyes aglow, and Bended the water from the column around him in a circle. It released and expanded outward into a shockwave that blasted Zuko, his men, and me overboard.

When I fell, I was shocked and horrified by what I had seen, so it shouldn't be much of a shock when I tell you that I had to sit in the moving waters for a few minutes to understand what had happened.

With full physical contact—because I was completely submerged up to my neck in the endless ocean with a possibility that I was going to be eaten by a shark or an octopus—or whatever floated in international waters—my defenses kicked in.

Water pulled around me obediently, and I rose with the waves up to the hilt of the deck's edge. I pulled myself onto the deck of the ship. Sokka looked at me nervously.

"Aang, we might have a problem…"

In my stage, my telekinetic powers grabbed hold of the flying bison that prepared to take flight.

Aang became furious, and he powerfully Airbended in my direction; I threw the weapons rack at him, and he dodged successfully.

"This is _not_ normal," Sokka sighed exasperatedly. He threw his boomerang at me; it deflected from me in an invisible shield.

Katara gasped in terror as she turned to look at me.

"Aang, we have to go!"

I turned around, and concentrated on the bodies that floated in the water below. Zuko and several of his soldiers were rescued and pulled on board.

My mind seared with agony as I relented when I saw Zuko safely back on the boat. Appa was released from my control. Problems on board continued to increase as Katara froze the water on the deck, and the soldiers that tried to capture them were mere realistic statues.

Aang flung another blast of air in my general direction. I barely held onto the boat as I was nearly thrown overboard. An apparently woken Iroh and a very annoyed Zuko came to assist me. We three looked up into the sky at the flying bison with utter irritation.

"Shoot—them—down!" Zuko yelled furiously.

Zuko and Iroh, in unison, launched a massive bolt of fire at Appa. The Avatar jumped off the back of the saddle and Airbended the fireball with an impressive gale with his staff. The fireball took a right angle away from the bison and clashed into the ice cliff nearby.

The fireball exploded and released a huge amount of ice from the cliff wall which fell into the narrow channel that the ship was navigating. Zuko gasped in horror—I am pretty sure that I screamed—das the entire channel (and the boat) was blocked (and crushed) under the avalanche of ice.

Iroh and Zuko rose to their feet, both irritated. I pulled myself out of the large pile of white.

"Good news for the Fire Lord," breathed Iroh as he observed the foredeck of the heavily damaged ship. "The nation's greatest threw is just a little kid."

"That kid, Uncle, just did this. I won't underestimate him again."

He turned to the soldiers,

"Did this ship out and follow them!"

Some of the soldiers were using controlled Firebending to thaw out their compatriots whom had been frozen by Katara.

"As soon as you're done with that…" Zuko muttered.

He sighed, obviously frustrated, and turned to me.

I declined quietly.

"Prince Zuko, I truly admire your ambition," I said wearily, "but I can't do _this_"—I indicated the large amount of ice—"when I'm feeling like my brain is going to burst."

Zuko sighed.

Iroh approached me with a congratulatory smile.

"You did very well, Captain. It's quite astonishing what you can do when you're at your most vulnerable. Isn't it, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko didn't show the same amount of praise as General Iroh; however, his simple nod was sufficient enough. With that sense of recognition, I painfully turned to the heap of ice on the deck, asked my body to forgive me, and stepped onto the large pile.

My limbs were numb with the cold.

Zuko set a hand on my shoulder,

"Let the soldiers do it. You've done enough."

I looked at him.

"It will take hours to shovel this snow out by hand, and a couple for Firebenders to melt it." I reasoned to him softly.

He looked more appreciative as he stepped back.

With what I was about to do, I can explain the amount of pain as this: during a terrible migraine, it's like screaming at somebody while trying to do house work. If nobody has ever had to do this then the lives that you have led, ladies and gentlemen, can't have been all that bad.

When I Bended the water when I was in the ocean, it was out of the necessities to survive, along with the safety to whom I was loyal. When I move the patches of ice, it took all the concentration within my relative circle of infinite power to hoist the huge avalanche of ice off the deck of the ship and to throw it back into the ocean.

I was met with gasps of awe from the soldiers who were unfrozen; Iroh cheered for me from the background. When I turned, Zuko's eyes had widened.

When I had done my duty, I fell to the deck in a collapsed faint, exhausted and in pain.


	12. A Firebender's Honor

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twelve: A Firebender's Honor

Before, I mentioned a man with the vile temper that General Iroh and Prince Zuko did not like. Captain Zhao was quite the ruthless man and he lived up to the reputation, even near death. Of all of the soldiers that I met when I was in the Fire Nation, even when I was still a member of the imperial city, Zhao was not one of my favorite people to speak to during my spare times in my childhood. He was demanding in his militaristic rule; and furthermore, his Firebending was out of control. That man didn't have a sense of the word 'discipline' for himself, but he kept his soldiers in a very straight line.

When I awoke from my temporary unconsciousness, General Iroh was sitting on the side of my bed with a concerned expression on his face. He didn't have to tell me that it had come as quite a shock when I passed out on the foredeck; it hadn't happened since I joined them on the quest. I wasn't accustomed to fainting after using my powers, but fatigue had set in after assisting the crew to get back onto the ship; it hadn't helped me at all when I insisted that I would dig up the ship from underneath the avalanche of solid ice. The ship was moving, so I assumed (with good reason) that the engineers fixed the internal damage; and that they were able to get along with little effort.

At the farthest side of the room, across from my bed, Prince Zuko leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He apparently had been watching over me this whole time. It was a pleasant gesture, and it made me certain that General Iroh was right after all: it seemed that Prince Zuko did like me. This was reassurance on my part, for I realized that he appreciated my efforts to help the crew; and although he wouldn't say it aloud, I thought he meant well by standing there in the corner, observing.

If I should be so bold to inform the audience of my feelings for present-day Fire Lord Zuko, I would like to say that although the relationship could possibly never become more than just very close friends, I had always believed that Prince Zuko and I would have formed a casual alliance at one point in time. As embarrassing as it is to inform the entire audience about my feelings for Fire Nation royalty, I believe it is crucial for the listeners to understand that I did feel incredibly close to him. Although we summarily never courted each other, I felt quite attached to the Fire Nation prince.

This, as you will find out later, is why it is a bit of a stretch to say that my loyalties were inclined to the Fire Nation princess, Azula, considering what I have just elaborated.

Prince Zuko approached my bed with an awkward bedside manner. General Iroh had more experience in caring for able-bodied soldiers; and although Zuko looked at me with uncertainty, his attempt to ask about my wellness was appreciated in spite of that.

"I'm fine," I said when he looked at me that way. I sat up slowly in bed. My head was pounding as a result of my prior actions of the day. I slid back onto the mattress with a second thought.

"Prince Zuko has some news to tell you," General Iroh said to me with a wide smile.

"Uncle."

Zuko's voice reaffirmed when he spoke; he had sounded at first as if he was hoarse. General Iroh granted him the necessary solitude as he strode out of the room and closed my door quietly. Zuko looked at me calmly.

"You didn't have to do that," he said. "My men would have moved the ice by themselves."

"You wouldn't have caught the Avatar," I replied.

Zuko considered my statement and said in resolve,

"Mura, I was talking to Uncle earlier, after you fainted. And he said that because you rescued the lives of those on board, and that you tried to pull the Avatar's bison down to us, Uncle Iroh thinks that 'Captain' isn't exactly a worthy title for you anymore."

I snorted,

"It's not like I'm getting paid to stay on the ship."

Zuko nodded his head understandably.

"Yes, but the soldiers also think the same thing," he muttered. "So you're Commander now."

He surveyed my facial expression.

"You don't seem surprised at all," he said.

"Zuko," I began calmly, "I don't care about my title. As far as I know, I'm not even a soldier. I don't fight hand-to-hand combat; despite how well I've been trained. However," I sighed, "I'm not exactly saying that I don't want to be Commander Mura. It just seems off track that I would be promoted twice in seven months."

"Then forget I said anything," said Zuko apathetically.

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.

"Zuko, I'm getting the feeling that this isn't what you have to tell me."

"Actually, it's not."

"Then what's the other thing?"

"We're pulling the ship into a nearby harbor."

"Well, that's great!" I exclaimed, sitting up.

"The harbor belongs to Zhao."

I stared at him. My uneasiness was apparent on my face as Zuko nodded to confirm the horrible gut feelings rolling in my stomach.

"Uncle told me that technically, you can be arrested for—in this case—impersonating a Fire Nations naval officer," he said contently. "But Uncle says that if you come with us on the shore, we can explain that you're an aide for the crew."

"The last time that I saw him, I was twelve; and Fire Lord Ozai put him on an assignment to come after me." I said seriously. "What makes you think he'll be so _civil_?"

Zuko nodded.

"The ship needs repairs, and we can't pass up this harbor. Just keep calm, and for _our_ sake, control your…" he gesticulated at my body for a word. "Gift."

I sighed, annoyed.

The harbor was a Fire Nation naval yard. Tents and buildings made up most of the landscape; ships were tied and ported on the long, wooden deck. As Zuko, Iroh, and I made our way down the bowsprit, we entered the navy yard; I imagine we looked like an unhappy group. And who would be happy, I ask you? The entire place smelled like smoke, coal, and something else—though I'm not sure that I ever want to know.

"Uncle," said Zuko, "I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail."

"You mean the Avatar?"

Zuko turned on his uncle angrily,

"Don't mention his name on these docks! Once word gets out that he's alive, every Firebender will be out looking for him, and I don't want anyone getting in the way."

"_Getting in the way of what?"_

Zuko and General Iroh turned their expressions to a figure that approached behind me. When I looked to see who had made my Spatial Sense tingle in the back of my head, it was a tall, burly soldier with sideburns, hands behind his back authoritatively.

My stomach might have fallen out of my butt if my alignment wasn't so carefully stitched together. In my response, I fell back behind Zuko and General Iroh.

Zuko crossed his arms,

"Captain Zhao," he said with evident distaste.

"It's Commander now. And General Iroh—" he bowed—"Great hero of our Nation."

"_Retired _General," Iroh replied courteously.

"The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcome guests any time." His eyes then fell upon me, "However, I don't think I recollect this young woman before."

Zuko frowned as Zhao reached out to me, grabbed my hand, and kissed my bare knuckles.

I drew my hand out of his grip.

"Commander Mura," I said. I was disappointed to hear that my voice had completely lost its defiance, and it sounded like I had just drank a full gallon of water.

He apparently hadn't forgotten about me after all, for he stared at Prince Zuko and General Iroh in obvious fascination.

"Well, well, well, Prince Zuko, you keep odd company in your wake, don't you?" he drawled. "Why are you harboring a fugitive?"

"She's not a fugitive," said General Iroh.

Prince Zuko took it upon my well-being to stand in front of me as Zhao approached me.

"Mura," continued Iroh, "has provided my nephew and me a generous service aboard our ship. She is an excellent soldier."

He looked at me considerately, though I tell you now that any man who looks at a girl like _that_ surely isn't a good person. General Iroh gestured for Zuko to step aside; and Commander Zhao stepped toward me with a scrutinized gaze.

"You're the witch," he recollected.

"_Telekinetic,_" I corrected him. My voice didn't fail me this time.

Zhao cocked an eyebrow at me, and turned to Zuko.

"Well," he resigned, "if she is as brilliant you say then she is welcome here as well, I suppose. What brings you to my harbor?"

Iroh gestured to the heavily damaged bow of Prince Zuko's ship,

"Our transportation is being repaired."

"That's quite a bit of damage," he said.

"Yes," said Zuko, "you wouldn't believe what happened." He gave General Iroh a sideways glance and immediately passed the buck. "Uncle! Tell Commander Zhao what happened!"

Iroh's eyes grew wide as he absorbed the burden,

"Yes, I will do that. It was _incredible._" He leaned over to Zuko and whispered, "_What…did we crash or something?_"

"Uh, yes!" Zuko said uncomfortably, "Right into an Earth Kingdom ship."

I mentally face palmed my forehead.

"Really?" said Zhao. "You must regale me with all the thrilling details." He put his face right up to Zuko's in an obvious challenge. "Join me for a drink?"

"Sorry," said Zuko, "but we have to go."

Zuko grabbed my sleeve and turned for us to leave, but General Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Prince Zuko," chastised Iroh gently, "show Commander Zhao your respect. We would be honored to join you. Do you have any Ginseng tea? It's my favorite."

Zhao smiled triumphantly. He approached me quickly before I could react. I uttered a surprised squeal and stepped away from him.

"You must have a great memory," he said confidently. Zuko's grip on my wrist tightened. "How about you tell me what happened? Surely with your _telekinetic_ powers, you must have an _astonishing_ eidetic memory."

"I _do_," I said boldly, glaring at him.

He chuckled, turning to Iroh.

"They almost act alike. Someone would think they're dating. Come along, General, I do believe I do have a few bottles stashed somewhere."

General Iroh and Commander Zhao walked down the dock. Zuko released me. He growled in frustration and released fire from his fists angrily. I stopped him.

"Zuko," I said quietly, "as attractive as I find your outbursts of your temper—and I do—perhaps you should leave the thrilling details to me…"

He nodded in agreement, and we followed the officers.

The plan for not staying too long was out the window. I was sure of that.

Two guards, flanked by large standing firepots, stood at the ready in front of the tent. Commander Zhao sat at the table in front of us; and General Iroh and Prince Zuko sat in two comfy chairs. I remained standing. Zhao indicated me for to make myself as comfortable as I desired, but I declined silently.

Zhao made me so uncomfortable that no amount of pleasantries would soften my instincts. He might have sensed this, and so did Iroh and Zuko, for he noticed that my reactions were delayed the kettle on the table and the tea cups on the end tables: they were floating a few inches on the surface, quivering.

Zhao smirked in my direction.

"You have quite a gift, _Commander_. Why are you so uneasy?"

"I recently had a headache, Sir," I told him flatly.

"Well, whatever makes you feel comfortable, please do it." Zhao said.

He looked at me as if I was some water maiden. Then again, Iroh and Zuko did tell me that I looked older than my age. I partially anticipated that the ruthless brute expected me to be twenty instead of sixteen.

"Now, tell me. How did you crash into an Earth Kingdom ship?"

"We were heading a course for an air temple," I invented rather easily. Zuko and Iroh looked at me with innocuous surprise. "Prince Zuko ordered that the engines weren't working fast enough, so Lt. Jee and his men lit fires under them. The helmsman wasn't at his post; he and a second man were arguing about the long journey, and I had to interfere; they started Firebending, you see, and I can't. So I had to control them."

"I see, I see," Zhao said melodically, "And uh, where were your commanding officers?"

"General Iroh was sleeping; Prince Zuko was meditating," I said swiftly.

"Hm," Zhao muttered. "And that's why the Earth Kingdom ship crashed into you? Awfully sketchy, Commander Mura. I believe that your Spatial Sense gives you the advantage to sense oncoming targets."

"I thought they were oceanic creatures," I answered deliberately. "Sharks, dolphins—fish. I assumed that our vessel was the only thing on the water."

"Clearly not." Zhao said critically.

"Clearly…" I muttered, frowning at him.

"And then…?"

"We crashed into an Earth Kingdom ship, and in order to disengage in an oncoming battle, I had to pull the entire vessel to safety," I lied smoothly. "Hence the headache."

"My, my," Zhao drawled. He glanced at Iroh and Zuko, who both were staring at me in astonishment. "That's quite a story."

"Isn't it…" Iroh muttered.

Zuko smirked,

"I told you that you wouldn't believe what happened…"

"Well," Zhao said resignedly, rising to his feet. "These things won't happen often."

He observed the large map of the world behind him.

"By year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule." He turned to Zuko. "The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this war."

"If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool."

Zhao sat in a chair beside Prince Zuko.

"Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue." A pause. "So…how is your search for the Avatar going?"

Behind us, Iroh tipped over the stand of weapons that he had been examining. The commotion brought the conversation to a halt. Iroh cringed at the mess he had made.

Iroh sheepishly stepped aside,

"My fault entirely."

I smiled at him fondly. A wave of my hand gave the weapons on the floor my permission: they assembled themselves back to their original positions on the rack. Zhao, slightly amused, glanced at Iroh who strode to stand beside me.

"We haven't found him yet." Zuko answered.

"Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the Airbenders.

Zuko averted his eyes guiltily; Zhao looked upon him with an eager face.

"Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive."

"No. Nothing."

Zhao rose from his chair.

"Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found."

"I haven't found _anything_," said Zuko. "It's like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago."

I intervened on his behalf,

"The Avatar isn't the only one who can stop the war."

Zhao looked at me.

"If the two Nations join together then unity can overthrow Fire Lord Ozai."

Zhao frowned at me.

"And you wonder why you're not welcome in our city," he said disdainfully.

Zuko rose from his seat and tried to exit, but he was blocked by guards; they crossed spears in front of him. A guard passed them and reported to Zhao calmly,

"Commander, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed that Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape."

I saw Zuko's shoulders fall in defeat. Zhao approached me with a devious smirk,

"Now remind me…" He turned to come up from behind Zuko. "How exactly was your ship damaged?"

It was drawing near mid-afternoon. Zuko was seated in an armchair; a pair of guards stood behind him. Iroh sat beside him in a second chair. Zhao approached me slowly, all the while looking at me with partial amusement and vanity.

"My, my, my, Prince Zuko," he drawled. "You have a quite a girl on your crew. She certainly has the tongue of a talented liar…_and_ thief. So, Commander Mura, a twelve-year-old boy bested Prince Zuko, General Iroh, _you_,_ and _the other Firebenders, right?" He turned to face Zuko. "You're more pathetic than I thought."

"I underestimated him once, but it will not happen again." Zuko said.

"No it will not," Zhao replied. "Because you won't have a second chance."

Zuko's face was alarmed,

"Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years, and I—"

"And you failed!" Zhao rounded angrily; flames erupted from his hand as he swept it in an arc from left to right. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now."

Zuko launched himself at Zhao in frustration and anger, but he was restrained by the two guards that stood behind his chair. Zhao turned to me; Zuko watched us with an angrier gaze. Iroh's face contorted in a silent alarm.

"As for you," he said gently, "you're welcome to join my crew, seeing as how your loyalty follows the highest bidder."

He grabbed my hand in his pair.

"You have quite a gift. You'd be useful in an armada."

"My loyalties don't belong to _you_," I snarled, pulling my hand away from him.

Zhao scoffed and slightly pushed me in my shoulder to make way through the door. Zhao gave an order to his guard to keep us here. Zuko, in a further act of anger, kicked over a table that had been sitting beside General Iroh. It was smashed into pieces. Iroh watched the scene calmly,

"More tea please?"

It was evening when Zhao opened the flap of the tent and re-entered. Iroh and Zuko sat in chairs facing each other. I stood behind Zuko, not wanting to have my arm stolen from me again.

"My search party is ready. Once I'm out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship, and you will be free to go."

"Why?" Zuko demanded. "Are you worried that I'm going to try to stop you?"

He laughed.

"You? Stop me? Impossible."

Zuko stood in defiance,

"Don't underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar before you."

Iroh rose to his feet,

"Prince Zuko, that's enough!"

Zhao scoffed,

"You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command, and you…you're just a banished prince. No home. No allies. Your own father doesn't even want you."

"You're wrong!" Zuko cried out. "Once I deliver the Avatar to my father, he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne."

"If your father really wanted you home, he'd have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar; but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."

"That's not true."

"You have the scar to prove it."

Zuko launched himself to his feet, brought his face within inches of Zhao's, and with a cry of indignation, said angrily,

"Maybe you'd like one to match!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"An Agni Kai. At sunset."

Zhao sighed,

"Very well. It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do…and your pretty girlfriend."

Zhao turned and walked out of the tent.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said quietly, "have you forgotten what happened the last time you dueled a master?"

"I will never forget."

I turned to him.

"Zuko, honey, as much as I am admiring you right now, you don't have to do this."

Iroh nodded,

"Mura is right, Zuko. This really isn't necessary."

Zuko turned to look at his uncle in obvious malcontent.

"Commander Zhao is taking everything from me. I won't let him take this night. I will find the Avatar before him; but tonight, I'll show him…" His breathing became shallow. I stepped in front of him. "I'm going through with the challenge whether you want me to or not."

I sighed shakily. The young prince was adamant. I looked away from his eager face only for a passing moment; then I wrapped my arms around his neck and embraced him. He was taken aback by my embrace, and he pushed me away, startled.

"What are you—?"

"Encouragement," I said with a shrug. I smiled. "As much as I don't want you to get hurt, I seriously want to see you bring that man down."

He gave me a quirky smile.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. I wanted Zhao to be defeated more than anything.

"I think that if he wins, he'll ask me to dinner," I added, and shuddered at the thought.

Zuko didn't find that entertaining. In fact, I might have made him detest Commander Zhao even more. It wasn't my original intention; I meant it to be a light joke for a serious conversation. Then I realized that it was Zuko, so I automatically threw that joke out of the ring.

"Come on, you two," said Iroh with a deliberate sigh. "We might need another cup of Ginseng tea."

At sunset, General Iroh brought me to the edge of the arena, a simple four-walled structure with watch fires on the four towers at each corner. There was a large open gate. The sky was a glorious mixture of Fire Nation hues: red, orange, and yellow. Zhao was at the other side of the arena, knelt in front of four of his men in attendance. Zuko was knelt in front of General Iroh and me. He was bare-chested, and a determined glint was in his eyes. Once more, I felt the oncoming rush of adrenaline run through my body as he rose to his feet. It was that familiar feeling of excitement and uneasiness; though I can't tell you which was the more overwhelming.

"Remember your Firebending basics, Prince Zuko," Iroh said. "They are your greatest weapons."

Zuko stood up and looked toward Zhao,

"I refuse to let him win."

I put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and turned him around to look at me.

"Just watch your step, you idiot…" I said playfully.

Atop the gate, a gong sounded. Both men faced each other and assumed the Firebending stances. Prince Zuko fired the first shot which passed harmlessly to Zhao's left. He fired again; this time it passed without effect to Zhao's right. Zuko fired several more, the last of which Zhao blocked satisfaction on his face. Frustrated and losing control of his breath, Zuko moved toward his opponent and unleashed more fire from both his hands and feet. Zhao dodged or blocked them all. Zhao crouched forward and shot flames at a point on the ground close in front of him.

The flames flew past Zuko—Iroh grabbed hold of my wrist and pulled me out of the way.

"Zhao!" Iroh said angrily. "Keep the fight between the two of you!"

Zuko glanced over his shoulder; the remnants of the flames that came toward me vanished into wisps of smoke. I wasn't afraid. It simply made me angry that Zhao aimed for me instead of his original target.

"Basics, Zuko! Break his root!"

Zhao fired many volleys of flame, alternating between his fists. Zuko blocked each, but was slowly forced back. On the last volley, Zhao used both hands, and it knocked over Zuko, sent him skidding backwards into the dirt. Zhao took a flying jump at him—fire in his hand.

"Zuko—"

"No, Mura, this is fight!" Iroh grabbed hold of my waist to stop me from interfering.

As Zhao fired right at him, Zuko rolled out of the way just in time, and as he was getting up, he swept Zhao's feet from under him. Zuko landed on his feet, and Zhao struggled to get up.

"Kick his ass!" I yelled.

I admit that during a fight, I was probably the worst type of person for an unbiased stance. I hated Zhao for most of my life, and his constant jibes toward Zuko and me really didn't help me like at all. It was a bit extreme for me to yell that during an Agni Kai; however, Zuko wore a slight smile as Zhao struggled to gain balance.

Zuko advanced toward Commander Zhao while using his feet to produce small waves of flame that rushed toward his opponent. Zhao was caught off balance, and he wobbled slowly backward. Iroh clenched his fist in an expression of hope, and smile began to spread across his face.

Zuko finally laid out Zhao flat on the ground with a blast of fire. Zuko rushed up to him deliver the final blow.

Zhao cried out, "_Do it!"_

Zuko released the blast that shot off in the distance. He stood erect, dropping his fighting stance. A hole in the ground produced smoke. I wasn't a little disappointed to have seen Zuko refuse to do what should have been done in an Agni Kai; although he seemed to have done the right thing in my eyes, for I felt myself smile in gratitude. Zuko was a fighter, but he wasn't a brute like Zhao.

"That's it?" Zhao challenged. "Your father raised a coward."

"Next time you get in my way," threatened Zuko calmly, "I promise: I won't hold back."

Zuko turned his back and came walking toward us. I ran up to him and embraced him proudly.

"You did wonderfully!" I sighed happily. "You know, for a moment there I thought—"

With a howl of anger, Zhao unleashed a whip of flame from behind Zuko; I pulled Zuko to the floor of the arena to avoid the dishonorable attack; however Iroh had rushed in between Zhao and us; he grabbed Zhao's outstretched foot and hurled Zhao back into the dirt with little effort. I stood up and helped Zuko to his feet.

Zhao scurried to his feet and attempted throw another jet of flame—I grew frustrated with him; and motioned from above—the gong, under my control, pulled away from the Firebenders and hurled itself toward Zhao, who dodged out of the way, ending up in the dirt again.

Zuko realized what had happened, and he rushed toward Zhao to avenge the assault, but Iroh stopped him.

"No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory."

"That girl must be quite a sore loser," said Zhao, "in order for her to lash out at me like that…"

"_That girl_," said Iroh, a look of condescension on his face, "assaulted you for the attack you attempted on Prince Zuko. This is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you."

Zuko looked at General Iroh with surprise on his face at the comment. I smiled, once more proud of him.

"Thanks for the tea," said General Iroh. "It was delicious. Zuko, Mura, let's go."

I didn't follow immediately. I walked up to Zhao and bent down on my knees.

"You know," said Zhao in subdued anger, "your _boyfriend_ won't protect you forever. You're still a fugitive from the Fire Nation, and I now know that you're still alive."

"Is that a threat, Commander?" I asked softly.

He frowned at me,

"You're a clever girl, Commander. Why don't _you_ figure it out?"

I didn't need much more from him; I joined Zuko and Iroh outside the arena.

Zuko asked him quietly, "Did you really mean that, Uncle?"

"Of course," answered Iroh slyly. "I told you Ginseng tea is my favorite."

Zuko smiled to himself as we walked back to the ships in the harbor.


	13. Mind Over Matter

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Thirteen: Mind over Matter

When I lived on that island by myself for the long four years, I had become somewhat…_intellectual…_with the animal kingdom. On the island of the Air Temple, the animals that made the forests their home were my newfound friends, although they wouldn't stay because, honestly, I was at the top of the food chain—but I only ate to satisfy the carnivorous part of my nature. Half of my time in my solitude, I lived out my meals on vegetation and I hunted the normal way. You see, I'm quite taken to animal life, and I have a hard time believing that it is all right to direct prey to the predator. It's wrong, and I seriously wouldn't consider 'Bloodbending' my food.

Because I was in touch with my inner animal—so to speak—I wasn't afraid of the Komodo Rhinos that boarded Prince Zuko's ship. According to the provider for the animals, it was a harsh way to travel land by simply _walking_ on it. The Rhinos were supposed to provide an easier transportation system. They were well-trained to the rider, and they ate the basics of a rhinoceros's diet: vegetation, berries—that sort of thing; though the provider whispered a tune in my ear that they weren't above eating meat. I took this with a grain of salt: any rhino that enjoyed the taste of blood would be a bad accommodation on board. As Commander of Zuko's small fleet, I took it upon myself to inspect the four Komodo Rhinos that made the cargo hold of Zuko's ship as their home.

Despite its incredible size, these large beasts are surprisingly fast agile. They have claws on each foots that enable them to scale vertically up walls or sideways with a passenger or other cargo. It provides a degree of protection against external damage and can bear the temperatures of the most extreme, as hot as near the equator or as cold as the North Pole. They're impervious to fire, but if you want it stay alive, I'd recommend not Firebending at it directly; and it can go over iced surfaces, swim and crawl through freezing waters if the ice does break.

Oddly enough, these creatures are quite immaculate in skill, but catching one is rather difficult. They have to be transported in cages, since it's too dangerous to let them prowl by themselves.

When I went under the deck into the cargo hold, I found these magnificent beasts in the large, expected cages; they grunted in discomfort. The provider was with me as I inspected them quietly. Prince Zuko and General Iroh waited at the door.

"Are we going to be moving along any time soon?" said Prince Zuko impatiently. "If it's all right with you, Commander," he said sarcastically, "I'd like to get a day's head start to track down the Avatar…_again._"

The provider straddled the wall behind me when I turned to face my superior officer. I'm not sure what made the man so nervous—the provider—he seemed to shake a little when I moved. Prince Zuko apparently noticed my curiosity, for he walked full-bodily into the hull and glanced at him as suspiciously as I had. I turned to the provider.

"Could you give us a few minutes in private?" I asked him sweetly.

He nodded to me uneasily, glancing between Prince Zuko and me. The both of us watched him leave. He walked as if he had a constant case of dysentery: apprehensive and holding a desire to leave.

I clicked my tongue inquisitively.

"What's wrong?" asked Zuko.

"That man…" I muttered, nodding toward the empty frame of the cargo hold. "He's acting rather odd…"

"Did you get that sense or is that an observation?" Zuko said dryly, a bored expression on his face.

I turned back to the rhinoceros interestedly. I could tell that Zuko was getting impatient with me, but I was still irked by the behavior of the provider for my new animal friends. However, I just assumed that the animal handler was simply a nervous wreck in the end. I turned to Prince Zuko who was leaning against the wall of the cargo hold.

"I must have been paranoid," I sighed. "Did you want to get these?"

"As long as they—_what are you doing?_" Zuko erected as I casually placed my hand through the bars of the cage and patted the head of one of them.

"Will you _relax_," I said, amused. "They're friendly."

General Iroh approached me from behind.

"You become more and more peculiar with the time we spend with you," he added smugly. "They're a fine specimen of beast; it's quite lucky we stumbled across you. Perhaps you're an animal whisperer."

"No," I said, though flattered, "but I get along with _them_ than people."

Zuko sighed irritably,

"I wonder why. Now let's go. I don't want to lose him again."

Iroh beckoned me to follow.

"We'll take the Komodo Rhinos, Commander Mura," he said as we pulled out of the hull. "Go on and pay for them with the provider. We'll meet you on deck."

"Yes, Sir," I said cheerfully.

The man of the hour waited for me to come to him.

He was still acting bizarre.

"Commander, were you pleased with the product?" questioned the provider.

"Of course. They're beautiful creatures," I said affectionately.

As we negotiated a price and settled on it, I pulled out a few Fire Nation coins and handed it to him. He pocketed them gratefully. He gave me a weird look.

"Hey," he said gently, and he pulled me into a huddle. "Just between us, are you that witch?"

"Once more, I'm not a witch," I said irritably. "I'm a _telekinetic._"

"Commander Zhao talked about you earlier," said the provider eagerly, as if I had wanted to tell me this for _a while_.

"Well, I control what he says and doesn't say," I told him wistfully.

"He was right, you know."

I was about to turn to walk away until he said that.

He almost cowered when I looked back at him.

"_Oh?_"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Right about what?"

"That you're traveling with the banished prince."

I frowned.

"Well, the prince is a right sight better than Commander Zhao. Tell him that _I'm_ right about that."

"He has a going gamble with the members of his crew," the provider said. "The soldiers bet that you won't last another month with him because he's a terrible leader. Zhao disagrees. He bets that you won't last another week—"

Before I knew what was happening, I was grabbing the man by the collar of his merchant robe,

"_Then you tell Zhao that—"_

"Mura!"

My absence hadn't gone unnoticed. Prince Zuko came after me, and he pried my hands off the merchant's collar. He didn't ask about my delay but merely grabbed my wrist forcefully and pulled me back on the ship.

We didn't talk until the ship cast off from the harbor.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" said Zuko confrontationally.

"Nothing." I snapped.

"Awfully a big thing to do over nothing," said Zuko grumpily.

"It's nothing _important_," I emphasized.

He and I remained silent for a few minutes.

"What was wrong with the provider?" he asked me calmly.

"Nothing," I answered.

"Because that's a good reason for attempting to strangle him…" Zuko remarked.

"It was about me, all right?" I snapped again. "It's nothing important."

I walked away before I could react disrespectfully again. I stormed into my quarters without eating dinner in a filthy mood. I would have been happier if the provider had scammed me with the rhinos; but no, I was angry about how Zhao was talking such rot behind my back. I should have expected it: we didn't end our reunion in high hopes.

I was attempting to meditate before turning in; going to bed angry was simply unacceptable. Instead of calm, content meditation, my mind racked with fury, and I felt the objects in my room start to fly around in dismay. A knock on the door interrupted me, and my things fell to the floor with _clinks_ and _thuds_ everywhere.

To my partial surprise, Zuko entered quietly.

"_What?_" I said, annoyed.

"We need to talk about something. Privately," he added when I rose to leave.

I accepted the request. He sat down beside me.

"When you told Zhao about what happened to my ship, the Earth Kingdom crash story," he began, "you, uh, lied a little too easily…"

"It comes with the gift," I muttered, brushing it off.

"Zhao seemed clear that he wanted you on his crew."

"Yeah, so?"

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"Because, Zuko," I said, agitated, "I'm not even the tiniest bit empathetic to his cause. You need the Avatar to go home; he wants the Avatar for some glory. And," I said more calmly, "I will be on your side _as long_ as you want to capture the Avatar."

He looked at me questionably.

"Zuko, I will never shirk my duties for my own benefit unless it means to save you; but the Avatar is a needed principle in the world. His existence makes this world a better place; he gives you hope, and that is what you need."

"I don't intend to kill him," Zuko said defensively.

"Yes, I know, but _if_ that happens, and you choose to continue with the plans _after_ the boy is killed...I will help the world overthrow the Fire Nation if that happens."

Zuko gave me an accusatory look.

"You'd turn your back on your home?"

"The world is not made up of Fire Nation and people, Prince Zuko. And if you're forgetting, the Fire Nation _isn't_ my home. I've forsaken that thought a long time ago. And if you capture the Avatar and you are welcomed back, I'm not coming with you."

He stared at me, stunned.

"Why not?"

"You're the Fire Lord's son. I cannot be accepted," I chuckled at the idea. "I will happy for you when—or if—you go back to the Fire Nation, but after seeing Zhao, I _don't_ want any part in the imperial city. I want a life of peace and prosperity; though I won't say no to a huge battle. My loyalty belongs to you, and it will stay that way as long as you _don't_ kill the Avatar."

Zuko considered my opinions with a weird look on his face.

"So," he said calmly, "the reason why you don't want to join Zhao is—"

"_Not_ because he wants the Avatar. He's a ruthless man; he has no control. And, obviously, he has no honor in defeat. Your uncle was right: you are a better man than Zhao. Zhao said my loyalties belong with the highest bidder because I've returned to a Fire Nation vessel; he's under the impression that while I'm with you, I'm protected."

Zuko nodded his head in confirmation,

"You _are_ protected."

I smiled. He returned it.

I clicked my tongue softly.

"You, uh…You didn't like my statement when I said that Zhao would ask me to dinner. Did you?"

"That's irrelevant. I was irritated."

I smirked.

"You, uh…You like me, don't you?"

"You're a specialized soldier," said Zuko, looking away. "I don't think Commander Zhao would appreciate your kind of power. And he's a terrible person, finding ways to cut people down…"

I smiled enduringly.

Awkward is the word that could describe the situation at this point in time. In order to spare the audience (and Fire Lord Zuko) an embarrassing scene of romantic comments and moments, I'll summon up with this:

"Come here, idiot," I said, and we kissed for the first time…ever.


	14. Let Me Just Say

A/N: _Thank you for the reviews as of 2/5/2013. As I can't properly thank the two guests for their reviews, I do it in the following chapter. I hope you're still enjoying Mura's account. _

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Fourteen: Let Me Just Say

When this trial first began, the introduction was written by my DA, and after I started to write my account on the 100-year war, I realize that in that short description of my charges, it appears that the world was given the impression that I'm this horrible scoundrel who decides on a whim where her loyalties lie. I actually read through the introduction, and I have to say this:

I do not know why, of all the people that I allied, that the world believes that I was extremely loyal to the princess of the Fire Nation. As I had told Zuko before in this story—and after I saw her incredulous downfall—I repeat: I did not like Princess Azula, but this does _not_ mean that I hated her. At the time of my journey with Prince Zuko, yes, I thought Princess Azula was nothing but a twisted girl who had an improperly placed sense of self-righteousness. Even after I met her—and joined her—I thought she was very rough around the edges; however, the girl was inspiring and frightening at the same time. She took command of the situation, and to those she felt that they would betray her, she snuffed out their doubt of her without a second's thought. I believe that if she showed more compassion and understanding rather than aggression and determination (or perhaps acted rational) Princess Azula would have made a _remarkable_ leader. She would have surpassed that of Fire Lord Ozai—and since he is imprisoned for his late actions, I can safely admit that the man is quite insane to think that the world _would have_ followed him willingly.

In my defense attorney's introduction of the case, it is said that I'm facing charges of treason against the Fire Nation: in this case, yes, but my loyalties did not lie with the entire country. The Fire Nation was a place for noblemen; and in no way do I mean that the nation was a terrible place, but it was not _my_ place. While Fire Lord Ozai was on the throne, my safety was in peril. Even if the Avatar was captured, or if he was killed—or if he simply accepted his son's intervention in the war room—I would _not_ have returned on my own accord. I had resisted arrest, and although I believed—and still believe—that my actions were performed with good reason, Fire Lord Ozai was not forgiving. I loved the Fire Nation as my home when I was a child, but it was not a place for someone like me to grow up in, knowing that the Fire Nation caused hurt and pain in the rest of the world.

I loved Prince Zuko, and I admit that openly before the entire jury because it's the truth. I would help him do whatever it took to capture the Avatar, and I'd have done it without question because he deeply desired to go home with honor and his father's love. But I was not going to participate in his mission if it meant that the Avatar was going to be killed. And, by the way, Avatar or not, the boy was 12!

The places that I destroyed while under Prince Zuko's command were with purpose and deliberation—and partially out of temper—and I did it because it would help him find Avatar Aang.

As for Commander Zhao, he was a Firebender who respected his own ego, and he didn't care about crew of his ship; and in the end, his own pride swallowed him, and this will be explained a lot later down the road. I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Now I tell the jury, and the district attorneys, Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang, and Team Avatar—Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka, Katara, Toph, Haru—_all these people—_not because I want to clear my conscience (and I do) but because I was there for the most part, and I know the truth. My life is on the line, and it's important for _everyone_ to know that my betrayal between Zuko and me was not my own fault. I loved him, and I'd have done anything to protect him.

Lastly, in the introduction, my defense attorney claimed that my loyalty belong to the highest bidder. This is not true, and I'm not sure _why_ it was said, but there is no amount of money or material that could sway my loyalties. As you can obviously tell by now, I'm not exactly all about wealth. This 'Highest Bidder' issue is all a lie, and to be quite honest, I'm not too happy about that.

Anyway, I will continue my account in the next chapter…


	15. The Avatar is Sighted

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Fifteen: The Avatar is Sighted

General Iroh and I kept a look-out for the flying bison on the ship; though we had scouts located at other corners of the world—people who were still loyal to the banished prince. If they saw a flying bison, or two Water Tribe peasants traveling with it, the spies were supposed to send a messenger hawk to our ship and alert us of the sightings. Of course, the Avatar traveled so evasively that it was more difficult to track him like we would if he were a traveler on land. We were on the sea for three more weeks, and the Avatar's locations were scattered madly across the map of the world. He had been to two locations by the Earth Kingdom, and another which had been the island that I had resided before I met Zuko.

At first, I considered that the 12-year-old boy had no idea where he was going (later, I found out that I was right) but I assumed that the Avatar was heading some place where he could master the other four elements: water, earth then fire.

General Iroh and I sat on the foredeck; he was playing Pai Shoi with Lt. Jee as I perused the map of the four nations in confusion and disarray.

"Perhaps," General Iroh suggested, "you should try thinking from a different angle."

"That _would_ be something an Airbender would do," I muttered. I had resolved the situation from all points of a person could sit in order to concentrate harder, but alas, I had become something of an overbearing person, seated with my hands clasped hard against my temples, cross-legged, and practically staring at the map as if it just _shows_ me where the Avatar was residing now.

The lieutenant glanced between General Iroh and me, and he said with a very regrettable tone,

"So…who is going to be the one to tell Prince Zuko that we have no idea where he is?"

I looked up at him and laughed nervously,

"Ah, Lieutenant, that's just negative thinking."

Iroh smiled.

"I enjoy your optimism, Commander, but you can't keep Prince Zuko in the dark."

"Where _is _he?" asked Lt. Jee. "I haven't seen the angry jerk in some time."

"Mind your mouth," I said curtly. I rolled up the map and jabbed him hard in the shoulder. "He may be an angry jerk, but he's _your_ superior officer. At any rate," I said patiently, "I suppose it won't do any harm to let him know that we're still working on picking up the Avatar's trail."

"If I know my nephew," said Iroh, "I can _guarantee_ you that he will be angry to learn that we lost it in the first place."

"He's angry anyway," I sighed.

Lt. Jee stroked his goatee in thought.

"Let me glance at the map for a moment."

As I drank my tea, he perused it for a few minutes. He smiled brightly and handed it to me, still smiling. I gave him a curious look.

"Did you find anything?" I asked hopefully.

Still smiling, now forcefully, he said,

"I have _no_ idea where he is."

"Damn…" I muttered. "It's because of the provider with the rhinos."

"It's nothing to do with what happened earlier," Iroh dismissed my guilt. "The Avatar travels light, and his friends are just as desirable to get out from underneath Zuko's radar as the Avatar himself. I'll let him know. Come with me, Mura."

I grumbled regrettable words under my breath as Iroh tugged me along.

When we approached Zuko's quarters, we took turns pushing each other in front of one another in order to decide who should open the door first.

Let me just say this: I wasn't afraid of Prince Zuko, but who really wants to make a hot-tempered Firebender angry as living hell?

Iroh and I whispered encouraging words to each other,

"You open the door, and I'll tell him."

"No, you're opening the door, and _I'll_ tell him."

"You're his uncle; you're family, you'll be more apt to be forgiven."

"You're his lady friend; just kiss him and it'll be all over."

"I'll open the door and—"

"Oh, no, _I'm opening the door._"

It was only a minute that we did this; however, at some point during that fast pace talking, I opened the door and Iroh and I appeared in the door way together to deliver the news.

Zuko was sitting in the lotus position in front of an altar. Four white candles burned in front of him. The light from the candles increased and decreased with Zuko's rhythmic breathing; and his eyes were closed in meditation; his face was calm and concentrated. When we opened the door, he said in a dangerously silky voice,

"The only reason why you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Avatar."

General Iroh entered before me with the map in his hand. I closed the door behind us.

"Well," said Iroh cautiously, "there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. Don't get too upset."

"Uncle," said Zuko calmly, "you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now whatever you have to say, I'm sure that I can take it."

"Okay then…" Iroh said. "We have no idea where he is."

"WHAT?"

The four candles flared to the ceiling with Zuko's wrath; he rose quickly and turned to face us, his anger was evident on his face. Iroh threw a hand out to me and pushed me away from the flames; he raised his right arm to protect his face. As the flames subsided, Iroh pulled a fan from out of his robes.

"You should really open a window in here," Iroh said, fanning himself.

"_Give me that map!"_

Zuko studied it. He looked up at me, for I had said nothing.

"We left as soon as possible," he told me. "We couldn't have been that far behind!"

"He's on a flying bison, Prince Zuko," I said quietly. "Don't batter yourself over this sort of thing; anybody could understand why it's difficult to find him. His friends board the bison and they probably alert him when we're near…"

"There have been multiple sightings of the Avatar," said Iroh, "but he is impossible to track down."

"How am I going to find him, Uncle?"

Zuko looked down at the map marked with circled Xs and dotted lines connected to the reported Avatar sightings. The lines zigzagged all over the landmass drawing. I hadn't expected it to be a simple task to track down the boy; he was barely a teenager, and at that age, the Avatar would have had a hard time to focus on one thing at a time.

"He's obviously a master at evasive maneuvering," Zuko muttered.

General Iroh left the room quietly.

"Well," I proposed off-handedly, "he's obviously got to rest sometime, doesn't he? And he'll need supplies as well."

"So you think he'll be visiting a marketplace soon? I 've already thought about that, Mura." Zuko said crossly.

"I'm not talking about some _random_ marketplace, dear," I muttered as he sat back down in front of the candle-lit altar. "Perhaps we should stop too."

"_Why?_"

"The Rhinos are running low on their feed. It'll be less than two days that they'll run out of food. And us as well," I added timidly. "We've recruited a few messenger hawks from the sightings of the Avatar. They won't leave the ship until they're offered payment for their services; and at this rate, we can't spare more than what it is offered for the naval officers."

Zuko glanced at me.

I smiled.

"While you've been sitting in the dark," I said coolly, "I've been talking to some of the other soldiers. They suggest that the rhinos will want some time to wander, and I agree with them. They're patient animals, but no mammal wants to be cooped up in a cage forever. Three weeks is quite a lengthy time for big animals in a fit cage," I added quaintly.

"So, another pit-stop, hm?" Zuko grumbled unhappily.

"It's not so bad where we're headed," I informed casually. "There a few very popularized merchants that port the harbor by Kyoshi Island. The island isn't too far from there, actually."

"By popularized merchants, you mean wealthy suppliers?"

"I mean that they have very good products for a mutually agreed price," I answered.

He beckoned for me to sit down beside him, so I did without a word.

"Your father was a merchant," said Zuko thoughtfully.

"Mhm."

"So you must know a few things about…gambling?"

"I don't gamble."

He gave me a doubtful smirk.

"It's a bit too easy for me," I said lightly. "Playing the dice game just takes a few minutes for me to win a bucket load."

"Because you're good at it?"

I smiled at him. I withdrew a gold piece from my robes and steadied it on the low table. Zuko watched with mild curiosity as the piece twirled on its slender edge, flipped across the table, and twirled again.

"I cheat." I whispered.

Zuko watched the gold piece roll away from him to land in the palm of my hand.

"The merchants are no doubt a friend of my father's from when I was a child," I sighed. "They won't be a problem in the trade. If there is, I'll just smile and pull down my top."

Zuko stared at me.

"I'll pretend that I didn't hear that…"

I kissed his cheek swiftly and stood up.

"I'll make a course then?"

Zuko confirmed my request with a stiff nod.

"I'll let you know when we port," I reported, and turned to walk out the door.

Kyoshi Island is located in the South Sea, off the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, and is the home of many small villages. It's popularized by its fishing port; and it's a favorite stopping point for traders and travelers. It's well-known for the birthplace of Avatar Kyoshi; it's characterized by its seclusion and temperate climate.

My father was a merchant, as I have said before, and he would go place to place for a good deal. It wouldn't shock me to find out if he visited Kyoshi Island as part of his route. It wouldn't have surprised me if the Avatar was on the island. I thought it would be relevant since Avatar Kyoshi had been an Airbender as well.

We docked at a village that was homey to travelers and voyeurs alike: they wouldn't question a Fire Nation ship. I asked Lt. Jee to inform Prince Zuko that we had arrived and that I was going ashore to retrieve the feed for the Komodo Rhinos. Lt. Jee casually accepted that with little joy; he still didn't like to be around Prince Zuko if he could help it. General Iroh stopped me.

"You know, Mura, perhaps you shouldn't go alone without Zuko."

"Why not?" I asked out of curiosity. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"It's not about you; it's him that I'm worried about," Iroh said with a sly smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, no offense, Commander, but you're not the ugliest woman that I've ever seen."

I stared at him, humored while at the same time confused by his comment.

"Uh-huh…"

"Well, my nephew is the jealous type…"

I burst out laughing.

"I'm not checking out the merchandise, General Iroh, I'm going to get supplies."

He glanced uneasily over his shoulder to make sure that Zuko was standing there.

"Well, just be sure you don't make yourself available to the merchants. He might get the wrong impression."

I patted his shoulder and turned away, chuckling.

For those who haven't seen Fire Lord Zuko's protective side: yes, Zuko is a very jealous man, though he shouldn't be. As I am sure his wife will agree, he's a very attractive man, and they make a beautiful couple.

I visited a local marketplace, bought what I needed, and came straight back. Iroh might have been a tad paranoid in the matter of my shopping spree, but that was entirely it for the day. When I returned, I went below to feed the Komodo Rhinos, who all roared their satisfaction at the fresh provided source of meat. I pet their heads affectionately.

Zuko joined me as I fed them.

"You're a strange person," he said firmly.

"And you're testy, but I accept who you are," I said wistfully. I playfully threw parsley in his direction.

He wiped away the vegetation from his clothes with an annoyed expression on his face.

"How was your trip to the market?"

I beamed at him, amused.

"You're asking me _that?_ Of all things? Prince Zuko, I'm sure that you can come up with something better than that drabble."

"Why did you leave without me?" he said curtly.

"You were occupied. I left on my accordance; it wasn't taking me a long time. If I went with your uncle, we would still be in the first shop. You know how he is."

"That's not the point."

He was being cross. At first, I thought he was joking, but that's when I realized that he was serious and that he wasn't going to lighten up.

"Oh, Zuko, I was gone for an hour. It's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about…" he repeated quietly.

I finished feeding the Komodo Rhinos and smacked my hands together to wipe off the saucy residue on my fingers. Zuko seemed uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?"

"You should always tell me where you're going." Zuko said. "I don't want the other soldiers to think that you're in any way special. That and someone might take you."

I sighed in exasperation.

"You're still on that 'Zhao' thing, aren't you?" I was partially-laughing and serious. To me, the entire situation was ridiculous. I wasn't attracted to any other man, and my loyalty was with the banished prince.

However, our argument ended briefly when he told me that Commander Zhao wasn't the type of person who could take 'no' for an answer. I didn't argue the matter because deep down, I understood that Zuko's irritation was more out of concern that jealousy. Or maybe it was a bit of both, but I couldn't be sure. Although I found it to be quite aggravating, I felt that Zuko's jealousy was touching.

The next day, mid-morning after the morning meal, Zuko grabbed my wrist and led me onto the foredeck. I thought for briefly that I had done something wrong; and I sincerely thought it, too, when Zuko handed me a sword, and he took up one as well.

"What are you doing?" I asked apprehensively.

"Showing you how to fight with a weapon."

I winced.

"Zuko, remember what happened the _last_ time you taught me something?"

"This is something different," he said. "I lost my temper with you the last time because I didn't fully understand your gift—that it acts a defense mechanism when you feel like you're genuinely threatened."

I smiled warmly, but still held the sword loose in my hand.

"I told you, Prince Zuko: I was born to use my powers, so that I _wouldn't_ have to learn how to use weaponry."

"Then just do it because I want you to learn." Zuko said peacefully.

I blinked.

"All right," I sighed.

Zuko stood behind me; he clasped his hand around mine that held the sword.

"Don't treat your weapon like a solitary object; act as if it is the extension of your arm. It's not a play-thing; and if it's lost, act as if you would be useless without it."

"That's not too far from the truth," I muttered.

He sighed.

"It's always a joke with you, isn't it?" he retorted coarsely. He continued to train me; however he added, disgruntled, "You've been hanging around my uncle for too long…"

Prince Zuko was a magnificent teacher, as long as he had the patience. The entire day consisted of foot work, parries, and thrusts. It actually was quite a productive day; what's more was that I didn't use my powers at all defensively. It was a one-on-one principle between Zuko and me, and I was perfectly peachy keen all the while.

One thing that I did like about Zuko, and I still believe this today, was that even though he was a temperamental boy, he had a lovely smile when he showed it. As I said before, Fire Lord Zuko is a very handsome man. I'll even embarrass myself to say that while we trained with swords, I enjoyed every minute of it because he spent time with me.

It was a lovely day, and I still think it was one of the best ones that I ever lived.

Around mid-evening, dinner was served with accurate time. The cook had left to buy a salmon off a merchant to use for evening meal, and General Iroh, Zuko, and I waited in Zuko's quarters.

General Iroh waited with bated breath for the food. He was an amusing man, and I took pleasure in his miniseries about the wonderful ways to make a meal with only a roasted potato and leachy nuts. Considering that the potato was bland and that I really did not like leachy nuts, I was surprised by Iroh of how a terrible meal could be spectacular with a few condiments from wildlife.

"See," said Iroh, leaning in to me, "what you do is that you go to the South Sea, find some Fickleperry berries, and when you mash them into a bowl, put the potato in there, and it tastes _so_ delicious." He held up a finger, "_But _make sure you don't confuse the Fickleperry berries with the Perrymickle cherries."

"What's the difference?" I asked serenely.

"My dear, if you eat the cherries, they possess a secretion that is deadly to humans. _You'll die, of course!"_

I glanced at Zuko, who face palmed his forehead.

The cook knocked on the door politely.

"Enter." Zuko said waving a hand as the chef opened the door.

"How are the officers doing tonight?" asked the chef courteously. "General Iroh, Prince Zuko, the lovely Commander Mura—Oh!"

Zuko grabbed the chef by his collar pointedly.

"Just serve the food and get out."

The chef glanced at me shakily and placed the food hurriedly on the table. Zuko released him. I was a bit shocked, though I recomposed myself as I retrieved the attention of the cook again.

"Oh, Commander," said the chef unsteadily, "there is news about the Avatar."

Zuko's eyes widened excitedly. He jumped to his feet.

"Where?" he demanded.

"Prince Zuko, calm down," I said, pulling Zuko's sleeve. "You're scaring him."

"Where is the Avatar? Where was he last seen?"

"Kyoshi Island," the chef said nervously.

I think my mouth dropped when he said that. Yes, I'm sure it did.

"Well, hell," I chuckled, stumped. "I was right…"

"Set a course to Kyoshi Island," Zuko said immediately. "I'm not losing him again."

"Zuko!" called General Iroh. "Are you going to eat the rest of your fish?"

Zuko walked into the room, grabbed his meal, and snapped,

"I was saving it for later!"

I chuckled at Iroh's annoyance as Zuko stormed out of the room.


	16. An Attack on Kyoshi Island

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Sixteen: An Attack on Kyoshi Island

As we made for Kyoshi Island, I couldn't help but feel that we were walking into a trip; though from my past experiences, I was usually right about this kind of stuff. Zuko appeared beside me, armored from heel to toe, and this wasn't at all surprising since we were nearing the shore of the island. He looked ahead at the snow-capped mountains in the horizon, just short of beautiful beach that slowly approached us. I leaned against the edge of the ship; arms crossed, and watched him.

"What?" he said.

"What if I told you that I felt that there was something wrong on that island? What would you say to that?"

"I'd say that I would believe you," Zuko said monotonously. "But we have quite a few soldiers on board, and four Komodo Rhinos to mount. And you," he added.

"I like the vote of confidence," I confessed, "but I have weaknesses, too, you know. I'm not a witch with all the cosmic power at hand."

"So you keep telling me…"

"Well, that's because everyone assumes that I am." I retorted. "I'm not royalty, and I'm certainly not a true soldier; I wasn't put in a boot camp and I didn't train like everyone else."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I just want you to know that I'm not like the rest of your soldiers."

"I know." Zuko said sincerely.

"Well, good…" I shrugged my shoulders. "Want me to get the buggers ready?"

"What?"

"The Rhinos…" I said more clearly, poking the deck with the toe of my boot.

"Oh, yeah. I mean _yes._"

I suppressed a chuckle, bowed respectively, and went below deck to feed them again.

A soldier came down to retrieve me,

"Commander, the prince requests that they should be out now."

"I'll get them out," I assured him.

"Do…Do you want any assistance?" asked the guard hesitantly.

He made it a point to compare my small stature to the four bulging, muscled Rhinos who growled in their cages.

"Nope, I'm good. I'll be out there in a minute."

The guard stepped back uncertainly, but he nodded courteously and retreated out onto the foredeck. I turned to Rhinos' cages. The bars were all connected to a metal gear that if turned, each cage would open vertically, and the bars would retract into the top floor of the steel. These were Fire Nation traps, and they usually were worked by turned a dial on each cage with extenuated force. Although I was not physically strong, I sported a mind that, if put to actual physical use, it could control an entire fleet of naval vessels—_if_ I had the patience and desire to do such a crazy act.

The Komodo Rhinos growled their yearning to leave their imprisonment. I stepped out of the cargo hold; and with each thrust of my hands, the cages released the Rhinos consecutively. They walked patiently toward me and I guided them out to the bowsprit. The guard who had been uneasy about leaving me stared at me in amazement. I patted his shoulder as I passed him, thanking him anyway for his concern.

Zuko ordered that the Rhinos would have two soldiers for each mount. With one remaining, Zuko took my hand and helped me up the beast's saddle. He climbed on after me.

"Don't fall," he said, looking over his shoulder.

"Really?" I said sarcastically. "I thought I might tip over; that seemed like a fun thing to do."

He grunted in annoyance.

"Just put your damn hands around me." Zuko said staring ahead.

"All right, all right…Mr. Grumpykinns."

He squeezed the bridge of his nose. I smiled cheekily.

"Women…" he grumbled.

The bowsprit let out a full cloud of steam as it lowered to shore; Zuko led the way for soldiers.

Kyoshi Island was quite a lovely place. It was a pity that we had to burn it to the ground.

"I want the Avatar alive," Zuko said to his men.

We entered the town. The village was quaint in shale shingles, wooden houses, and each was accompanied by a delicate porch. The lake was right there beside it, a perfect fishing port. I looked over Zuko's shoulder to see what lay ahead of us, and that was the little problem.

The streets were deserted.

"Come out, Avatar!" Zuko yelled into the empty village. "You can't hide from me forever!"

Silence answered him.

"_Find_ him," Zuko ordered.

I clicked my tongue; he glanced over his shoulder at me.

"What?"

"You know that I feeling I get when it's like I'm being watched? Well, I'm feeling it."

"He's here, isn't he?" he muttered quietly.

"_Somebody_ is…" I retorted.

I could feel tremors around me, which was usually the universe hinting me that there was life beside me. What might have confused me otherwise was that although my senses could pick up life forms, my instincts weren't always up to date. In other words: what I was feeling could have been Zuko and his men all along. My sensory details can't certainly _identify_ what is what, which is why it's a tad confusing when I sometimes mistake animal life for humans.

When I explained this to Zuko, he had a look on his face that was antagonistic.

"Why did you tell me this _before_?" he snapped.

"Calm down," I said hotly, "it's probably right. I'm paranoid, remember?"

A Fire Nation soldier approached Prince Zuko on his Komodo Rhino with his companion behind him.

"Sir," he reported, "no one is here. The entire town is deserted, abandoned."

"Did you check inside the houses?" asked Zuko curtly.

"Well, no…"

"Then check them!" Zuko ordered irritably.

"No need," I said nonchalantly.

I dismounted Zuko's rhino and strode in front of the straddled village houses.

"Mura, what are you doing?" he asked me with painfully disappointed look on his face.

I pained him no need. I addressed the otherwise deserted town,

"Come out now," I warned them, "or I will bring down your village!"

"Ma'am," said the first Fire Nation soldier, "that's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Shut up," I muttered.

Silence answered to me as well.

I was slowly growing annoyed with the situation. Three weeks on a ship, feeding Rhinos, and attempting to find the Avatar had started to grow _very_ old; and Iroh wasn't too far from the truth: I did have a nasty temper, but I could only bottle it up for so long.

So—and this is one of the things that I'm not proud of—I concentrated my energy toward a house that was closest to the lake, and with a heavy push, the roof caved in automatically, and a cry of despair echoed from atop the nearby house.

And you would be happy to know, or perhaps it's bittersweet, that I _was_ right after all.

From above the rooftops, an army of fan warriors attacked Zuko's army, dressed in a familiar attire and make-up as the statue of Avatar Kyoshi herself. It was quite impressive to see a clan of warrior girls take down a group of Firebenders. (Keep in mind that the most fighting that I had seen since my time with Zuko was the bit of muddle with the villagers we met before meeting Zhao).

A girl dressed in a similar outfit, fans grasped tightly in her gloved hands, shot out from the ambushing warriors and charged straight toward Zuko and me.

The jury and my peers know this woman to be Suki, the leader of the Kyoshi warriors, and the proud girlfriend of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe.

Suki charged me; an invisible hand swept through the earth and grabbed her ankle. She tripped and landed face first into the dirt. She staggered to her feet, jumped on my back, and headed directly at Zuko. As she was about to land on him, he turned the rhinoceros and she was swatted out of the air by its tail. I winced as she was sent hard to the ground.

Zuko aimed a fire blast at her; and then Sokka stepped in between Suki and the fire ball; deflected it with his fan. Zuko was taken by surprise, and he fell off the rhino.

Sokka turned to Suki,

"I guess training's over."

Suki and three warriors cautiously approached Prince Zuko; Sokka started to confront him. I grabbed him by the nape of his dress collar.

"Hey!" he pushed me the ground. "Why do we keep running into you?"

"Why don't you stop running?" I retorted, getting to my feet.

From behind Sokka, Zuko spun around on his hands, and shot fire bolts at his feet. Suki was sent barreling into a nearby house; the other three were blown away, knocked unconscious. Sokka cried out in anger and rounded on Zuko to avenge his girlfriend; however, he yelped out in surprised as his fans were pulled out of his hands and came retreating to mine.

"What _are_ you?" he said incredulously.

It was a rhetorical question.

He came at me with a clenched fist; he cried out in dismay as a pile of rubble was thrown into his face, and he fell against the wall of the village house that Suki crashed into earlier.

Zuko leapt into the middle of the street.

"Nice try, Avatar! But these little girls can't save you!"

"Hey! Over here!"

Zuko turned around; the Avatar stood on the side of the long street. Zuko let loose three consecutive fire balls from his hands; Aang dodged them, and using his staff, he flew toward Zuko. Zuko shot another blast of fire, which knocked Aang's staff out of his hands. Aang leapt away and picked up the two discarded fans. As Zuko ran with full force at Aang, an enormous gust of air from the Avatar's fans picked up Zuko and threw him into a wall of a nearby building. I ran toward the broken wall to pull the wood off him. Three other soldiers assisted me.

"Zuko. Zuko, are you all right?" I asked as I found his face.

"Get off me," he growled, struggling to his feet.

Suki came running toward us furiously. Irritated at Zuko, I distracted the Kyoshi warriors with one final blow—

"Aang, she's—" Katara's voice was heard just a few moments before the rooftops of each village house caved in with a heap of smoke and splintered wood; the doors of the houses flew at me with a simultaneous, fluent _whoosh; _and Suki's face contorted in horror as the villagers from the town—women, men, children—screamed in terror and despair as the doors came crashing in front of Suki's feet.

Above her head, a flying bison came into view, boarded by the Avatar and his friends.

I faced off with Suki: sword vs. fans; and the sight was a bit more than just a few punches.

Jury and peers, it sounds terrible; and what I did was also terrible, but surely by now, in my present time—you should know that my actions were made by a nasty temper. I am sorry that I destroyed the villagers' houses of Kyoshi Island. My excuse is not a valid one, but all I have to say about what I did is this:

When you're angry, you don't think about the consequences. You can't understand the consequences of your actions because in that fleeting moment of irritation or that misunderstanding that leaves you confused and hurt, the feeling you experience is quite simple.

You just. Don't. Care

Zuko saw the flying bison leave the town in the sky, and that's when he ordered for his men to retreat back into the ship.

My fight with Suki left us both in a world of pain, and this isn't figurative. If you have never been hit with those warrior fans, I can't explain that the pain is a bit more extreme than a paper cut, but it isn't as bad as a flesh wound made by a sword. I didn't hurt Suki the extent of that, but I had nicked her a few times, and it hadn't even been my arm that did the fighting.

As I have said before: my mind reacts to danger and tries to protect me when it believes that I'm in a dire situation. So my gift reformed the sword into a body guard and blocked and counterattacked Suki's movements only to the point where she would let me escape.

When I did escape, and I the rhinos were on board the ship, General Iroh took me to the infirmary where I had to be nursed for my injuries. And once more, I suffered a great migraine for penalty of my actions.


	17. Strong Minds

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Seventeen: Strong Minds

"You have quite a temper for being girl with a strong mind," said General Iroh as we set a course to follow the Avatar, who flew so diligently on his bison several feet above our ship. Iroh had me lay down on a cot, and he tended to my lacerations that I had obtained from fighting the Kyoshi Warriors. He placed a warm washcloth on my forehead, intending for the heat to cure the incessant pounding in the upper back part of my brain. He managed to stop the bleeding from the wounds on my arms. His gaze upon mine was partially disapproving, though something told me that he was awe-inspired as well.

"What did you hear?" I asked. When I spoke, I felt instant pressure in my head. The pain was evident, as Iroh pressed a finger to my lips and urged me silently not to speak more than what was needed.

"It's not what I heard, Commander. It's what I saw." Iroh retorted. "What I saw was a very powerful woman taking out her irritation for a combative Fire Nation prince on a village whose houses were destroyed in the aftermath."

"I did it to prove a point," I murmured.

"You did it out of anger," he reprimanded. "Even if Zuko irritates you, you shouldn't take your wrath on those who don't deserve it. They were hiding the Avatar, but he was long gone before you took out their houses." He bandaged my arm with a delicate touch. "Mura, I think you have a marvelous gift, but even a thing so rare and beautiful can be deadly and dark if it's used for the wrong reasons."

"You don't plan on how to react to anger," I snapped.

"You can if you actually meditated," Iroh said with much conviction.

I stared at him.

He didn't back down.

"Mura," he said calmly, "what if there were children in those houses? What if there were women? You shouldn't crush more lives than you should; if you do, it burdens your soul."

I frowned.

"But the Avatar got away?"

"You may think that my nephew is an aggravating man, Mura," said Iroh, rising to his feet, "but he is quite honorable when it comes to family. He may not show it so well, but when the situation calls for it, Zuko is very sensitive and affectionate. He has formed a hard shell around himself so that he won't get hurt. He left himself open when his mother was banished from the Fire Nation."

I nodded in understanding.

"And he cares about you," Iroh continued. "He was worried when he saw you come aboard the ship with these flesh wounds covering your body. I have seen my share of war, and I'm not so flinching when it comes to changing bloody bandages."

Iroh removed the rag from my forehead, for it had chilled. Steam compressed from his palm, and heated the washcloth again. He resumed it on my forehead as before. Heat eased the pressure inside my head, and I felt extensively better than I had a few moments ago.

General Iroh smiled at me. I assumed he noticed that I looked as better as I felt. The door to the entrance of my quarters opened steadily. Prince Zuko came inside, wearing a scowl on his face. Iroh gave me an affectionate, furtive nod for a goodbye and a good luck then he passed by Zuko with only a few words to say, which he uttered in a tone that only he and his nephew could hear.

Zuko waited for Iroh to close the door then he sat down beside me.

He continued to look at me as if I had done something wrong. Immediately, I attempted to sit up, and uttered in a desperate tone,

"Zuko, I tried…"

He held up a hand to stop me from saying anything more.

"Mura, let me ask you something. And just nod your head if the answer is yes, and otherwise if it's no."

"Why can't I just open my mouth and talk?"

"Because when you do, you have a habit of distracting me from my point." Zuko answered flatly.

"Oh…Okay…"

"On Kyoshi Island, when you pulverized the houses, was that because you wanted to distract the Avatar?"

I shook my head.

"Was it because of me?"

I nodded.

"I did that?" asked Zuko softly.

"Zuko," I began gently, "I was helping you, and I was concerned. I thought that when the Avatar threw you through a _wall_, you were unconscious. Clearly, I underestimated your recovery time."

Zuko's eyes glanced guiltily toward the bandages on my arms, stomach, and legs.

"Well," he muttered, "it was impressive what you did back there. I sometimes forget how strong you are until you actually make something happen."

"It wasn't _just_ you," I said, straightening up in bed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't like my ass getting kicked by a group of girls," I explained, smiling. "Also, I've spent quite a long time on a boat, Prince Zuko. I'm used to freedom. And although this isn't captivity, and the present company is sweet"—Zuko's cheeks blushed—"I _do_ like being around other things that _aren't_ made of metal."

"We're pulling the ship for a day so the crew can rest." Zuko informed me.

"So soon?"

"Yes. The Rhinos are becoming a bit…well, you know how they are."

"Rambunctious?"

"Yes." Zuko answered shortly. "Anyway, Uncle is going to take some kind of nature walk or something. You seem to share that kind of thing with him, so you might want to take that little hint."

"Why won't you come along for the walk?" I asked curiously.

"I stay with the ship. I'm doing this for Uncle. If it was entirely up to me, I wouldn't take any pit stops." Zuko said, rising to his feet. "Take a few minutes to relax. No rush."

He headed for the door, but he halted in mid-step. He turned around to face me.

"You _are_ okay, right?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course," I said, though I winced when I tried to get out of bed. "I'll be dandy as soon as I get to walking again. No worries." He didn't look convinced, so I said with more conviction, "Honestly."

Zuko still didn't look persuaded; however, he gave me a slight smile and walked out of my room, closing the door behind him.

When I finally obtained enough strength to emerge from the ship, I had enough pain tolerance to pull over a Fire Nation cuirass, trousers, and a robe and boots. My arms stung from the ointment that Iroh had used on my wounds, and the similar pain scurried through my stomach and legs.

I might have taken down the village, but my physical prowess suffered from Suki's successful targets. As I always told Iroh, and I tell you: although I was able-bodied, and could hold my own in an escape route, my abilities to actual _fight_ were limited. I was more brain than brawn. And Zuko was a bit of both.

General Iroh met me on the shore of a beautiful landscape: lush vegetation, a glistening beach, and green canopies provided the perfect paradise for a banished prince and a traveling uncle. It was actually not too different from the island I had inhabited previously. General Iroh wrapped a delicate hand around my waist as we walked through a cleared thicket of bamboo. We waved goodbye to Zuko, who—despite the frown on his face—waved back.

"So tell me, Mura," said Iroh conversationally, "what exactly do you think is going to happen if you and Zuko manage to capture the Avatar? You can't possibly have believed me when I said that Fire Lord Ozai would simply _forgive_ you for resisting arrest."

"I did," I admitted, "but that was before I learned of what happened to Zuko during the war meeting."

"I thought you would have found out eventually from travelers on your island."

"I hadn't had contact with a traveler, merchant, nomad, or spirit when I left the Fire Nation. I ran into a few travelers in Ba Sing Se, but I don't think I made too many friends there, either."

"Because of your gift?" asked Iroh understandably.

I didn't reply.

"Ba Sing Se is supposed to be a place of safety, a haven for those who want to make a fresh start." Iroh said. "I know that you want to help Prince Zuko find the Avatar, but what will happen when he does, and he wants to go home?"

"I already discussed this with him." I said shortly.

"He wants you to come with him if he does," Iroh guessed correctly.

"Yes."

"And you won't?"

"No." I said. "I can't believe that a man like Fire Lord Ozai would give me a second chance if he won't even let his own son return without a price. In the eyes of the Fire Nation, I'm still the little girl who couldn't use her powers when she should have."

"That's not true." Iroh said. "I _know_ what happened that day, Mura. And it wasn't your fault. Your mind judges your character before you do. It knows your morals. At the time, Azula was your friend."

"She _was._"

"If she appeared to you now, would you forgive her?" Iroh asked curiously.

I looked at him questionably.

"General, why are you asking me all these things? Are you wondering where my loyalties lie? Do you doubt me like all the others?"

Iroh stopped walking and turned to me coolly.

"Life gives us meaning, and we give it back by understanding the world around us. You have developed a belief that most of everyone in the Fire Nation is bad, but it's not true. The world isn't made up of Fire Nation and good people. Azula is wrapped around her father's finger; she might be just as confused as Zuko."

"So," I said, attempting to weed his meaning, "you think I should…_like_…her?"

"Well, no, that would be stupid." Iroh said, smiling. "I'm saying that in our family—in the family of Fire Lord Ozai—not everything is as it seems. You have a very strong mind, Mura, and you're tremendously capable of great loyalty. I just don't want to see those two things be turned against close friends."

I absorbed his words.

"Now," continued Iroh, continuing our walk, "Commander Zhao is a whole 'nother story. He is _exactly_ as he seems: ruthless, unyielding, and he doesn't respect the four nations as a unity. Like my brother, Commander Zhao believes that the Fire Nation is the supreme nation, and he wants expansion."

"Then why didn't the nation just make _him_ Fire Lord?" I retorted involuntarily.

Iroh gave me a slight smirk.

"If the Fire Nation made Zhao Fire Lord then it would be easy for Prince Zuko to kick his butt, don't you think?"

We laughed together.

"I watched you during his Agni Kai with Prince Zuko," said Iroh thoughtfully. "You show absolute passion for my nephew. It's almost admirable. You help him in many more ways than just commanding the recruits, Mura. I think that you could help him in life, if ever he chooses his own path."

"You think Zuko is misguided?"

"I think," sighed Iroh, "that Zuko is following a path that was set for him by somebody else. His destiny is linked with the Avatar, of course. One-hundred years ago, Avatar Roku should have dealt with this problem, but this new Avatar—this boy—inherited a war."

"Avatar Roku…" I muttered. "He's the Avatar that was born into the Fire Nation, right?"

"The very same," Iroh confirmed.

"So you think Zuko and the Avatar are fighting a war, but they're pretty much on the same side?"

Iroh nudged me in the ribs,

"What are you doing, Mura? Trying to confuse me with a proverb of your own?"

He laughed.

I winced slightly from the pressure on my stomach; however, the idea was funny, nevertheless.

Iroh and I came into a clearing.

We came upon a beautiful hot spring, which pooled into five various canyon tubs; each was fed by a steady, flowing stream coming out from the rocks behind it. It was quaint.

General Iroh saw the landscape to be a potential hot bath, which he made it up himself as he breathed steam from his nostrils and heated the water, creating foggy bubbles on the surface. He wasn't the most embarrassed man of the Fire Nation Naval Service, so I turned just in time before I could see him strip down to nothing and he climbed into the tub with nary a worry or care in the world. He had laid out his clothes on a nearby tree branch which laid low to the ground. Iroh treated our time away from the ship like an extended vacation.

"My nephew," said Iroh as if this was a normal thing to do, "is very high-strung, as you could tell by now. He doesn't know a life of peace and prosperity when he sees it."

Iroh leaned back into the hot bath, cradled his head in his hands, and sighed peacefully.

He smiled widely at me. I chuckled out of the situation itself.

"What?" he said. "I'm a man of simple taste."

I crossed the clearing and sat on the edge of the hot spring.

"So," I began quietly, "did Zuko have anybody before he was banished?"

Iroh gave me an absurd look at first. Then his expression softened.

"Yes," he answered truthfully. "A young woman named Mai."

"Is she pretty?"

"Stunning." Iroh said. "She's quite a gloomy girl, though. She sighs a lot. Her uncle is the warden at the high-security prison on the Boiling Rock."

"Well, it's a good thing I don't know him personally," I chuckled anxiously.

"They wouldn't send you there," said Iroh as if he had read my mind. "The warden only takes Firebenders. They put people like us in coolers."

"Like jail cells?"

"No, actual coolers. Like freezers…coolers." Iroh emphasized. "It can deter a Firebender's spirit, but if they learn how to use their breath of fire, it's not a big deal." He paused. "Why are you asking me about Mai?"

"I was just curious…"

"Well, he hasn't seen her in two years," Iroh reassured me. "I don't think he even remembers her face."

I shrugged.

Then from the bamboo thickets that we had crossed, I felt a familiar pressure in the frontal lobe of my brain start to twitch. We weren't alone.

Iroh jumped slightly when I stood up immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone's—"

Before I could say that we were being followed, I was calmed when I heard Zuko's voice calling from the general direction.

"Uncle! It's time to leave! Where are you? _Uncle Iroh!"_

Zuko pushed through the bamboo stalks and entered the clearing.

"Over here!" Iroh said happily.

"_Uncle?"_

Zuko's voice went high-pitched slightly when he saw General Iroh in the bath. Zuko glanced at me with a stunned expression on his face; I merely waved.

Zuko gathered his composure and continued with a frown on his face,

"We need to move on, we're closing in on the Avatar's trail, and I don't want to lose him!"

"You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles."

Zuko grew angry,

"My troubles cannot be soaked away! It's time to go."

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself."

Iroh steamed the water again; Zuko swatted the steam away and approached the hot spring.

"_Enough!_ We need to leave now! Get out of the water!"

Iroh rose from the water—

"Whoa!" I cried out, laughing; in order to avoid looking upon the Iroh's soldiers, I fell off the side of the hot spring and landed on the hard rock. Zuko flew a hand up to his face to shield himself from Iroh's nudity.

"On second thought," said Zuko, "why don't you take another few minutes, but be back at the ship, or I'm leaving without you! Mura, I'll need your help getting the supplies on board."

"Yes, sir," I said cheerfully.

Iroh leaned back in the water,

"Aaah."

He waved to me as I retreated with Zuko.

"Why the rush, Prince Zuko?" I asked, catching up to him.

"The Avatar is heading for the North Pole to find a Waterbending master; so that's where he is headed. It took me three weeks to track him, and I'm not going to lose him this time." He looked at me strangely. "If you're so smart, I'd have thought you would have realized that."

"Zuko, there is such a thing as working too hard." I said, taking Iroh's side. "You're an amazing tracker. At any rate, it's not like you'll never find him again."

We reached the shore.

"Why do you need my help, anyway?" I asked. "Your men are quite capable of lifting fifty pounds."

He stood in front of me with purpose.

"I wanted time alone with you."

"What? Why?"

"Because we need to talk."

"About what?"

"We're comrades-in-arms, Mura," Zuko explained delicately. "If we let our emotions get the better of us, neither you nor me will be thinking clearly if the other is in trouble. We can't be together."

"Is it the girl from the Fire Nation?" I asked despairingly.

He looked a bit shocked from my reference to Mai, but he held his ground.

"This has nothing to do with her. We make a good team," said Zuko, "but we can't show the soldiers that we're…interested…in each other."

"You have a brutal way of explaining things, Prince Zuko," I retorted apathetically.

Zuko said nothing in response.

It was hours later that we started the boil makers in the ship's engine room when the soldiers pointed out that General Iroh had not returned on Prince Zuko's deadline. Worry entered my mind, and I anticipated the worst thing. Zuko was alarmed, and he took me with several other soldiers back through the bamboo thicket and into the clearing.

"Uncle! Uncle, where are you?"

Iroh was nowhere in sight, and my stomach churned unpleasantly as I looked upon the ruined hot tub that Iroh had been resting in; stone projectiles were embedded in it. I gestured to Zuko.

"Sir," said a standing soldier, "maybe he thought that you left without him?"

"Something's not right here," Zuko said, and he followed my gaze. "That pile of rocks."

"It looks like a landslide, sir."

"Land doesn't slide uphill," Zuko retorted. "Those rocks didn't move naturally."

My heart sank unhappily, and Zuko spoke my thoughts,

"My uncle's been captured by Earthbenders!"

The soldiers reacted with united shock. I stared at the spring, intrigued.

"He couldn't have gone willingly," I said quizzically. "You're uncle's the Dragon of the West, a fighter. Why—_How_ could he let this happen?"

"You can ask him yourself because we're going to find him," Zuko retorted darkly. He passed me and entered the bamboo thickets again.

I expressed daunted pleasure at the look of his determined expression. I glanced uncertainly at the soldiers who didn't know what to do, as they gazed with lingering surprise at the ruined hot bath. Zuko's voice snapped from the distance,

"_Mura, come with me!"_

"Yes, sir!" I replied. I turned to the soldiers.

"Return to the ship; Prince Zuko and I will reconvene in the morning once we find General Iroh. Whatever you do, don't let anyone take it."

"Yes, Commander," they said.

Zuko mounted a Komodo Rhino; he pulled me up with him, and I wrapped my hands around his waist as we headed off to a similar direction that the Earthbenders could have gone. There was one place that Zuko and I had in mind that a few Earthbenders would take a retired General of the Fire Nation. Ba Sing Se had been Iroh's most unsuccessful mission; it seemed only poetic to bring him to the great Kingdom.

Since Kyoshi Island, we hadn't run into too many rebellions, and it had been the last time that I had actually lost control. Although I scorned myself for taking my temper out on the houses, I didn't blame myself for showing Zuko just how powerful I could be. It had might have been for that reason that Zuko took me along for the journey instead of a whole fleet of warrior Firebenders.

We came across something lying in the dirt road. Zuko dismounted the Rhino and investigated the lost sandal on the ground. Zuko picked it up, sniffed it, and a look of disgust spread over his face.

"Yup," he turned to me, "that's Uncle Iroh."

I smiled hopefully as he pressed on the Rhino, and we continued our trail.

"Every time that we get closer to the Avatar," I said gently, setting my head on Zuko's shoulder, "something gets in our way, and it delays us."

"We'll find him," said Zuko reassuringly.

He seemed to know what was bothering me, and I anticipated the worst. General Iroh might not have been my father or my uncle, but he was more paternal than the other older gentlemen in my life. He seemed to know the secrets to the happiness of life. And as I imagined scenario after scenario of what the Earthbenders were doing to Iroh, the angrier I started to feel.

By daybreak, Zuko and I had found a trail of scorched earth and a purposely-ruined edge of a cliff where it looked as if General Iroh had Firebended, and it had shocked his captors. Below, at the edge of the cliff slope, earth crumpled where a body had been lying.

Zuko and I walked the edges of the cliff to search earth pits; and my stomach jumped with hope and uneasiness when I saw General Iroh stretched over a large rock in the center of the pit; his hands were spread before him, cuffed in shackles made of rock.

Prince Zuko and I frowned as the leader of the band said with finality,

"These dangerous hands must be crushed."

Zuko grabbed my hand and we slid down the slope with appropriate grace, landing in a bush just above the pit. The captain who had spoken cried aloud as he raised a huge boulder from the ground and moved it to hover over Iroh's hands. He dropped it; a moment before it could crush Iroh's hands and arms, Zuko flung himself into the pit and kicked it out of the way. He landed on the ground and broke the chains holding Iroh's hands with a kick. Iroh rose with a smile.

"Excellent form, Prince Zuko."

"You taught me well."

The Captain approached them with his buddies.

"Surrender yourselves, it's five against two. You're clearly outnumbered."

"Five against three," corrected Zuko. "I brought a friend of mine."

Iroh looked around, momentarily confused.

The captain cried out in surprise as he rose into the air; his friends backed up, stunned—they found me standing above the earthen pit.

I flew a hand to the ground, and the levitating Earthbender dived—nose first—into the earth with a loud _thud_. I slid down the wall of the pit and joined Zuko and Iroh.

"That's true," said Iroh, glancing at me with approval, "but you"—he turned to the Earthbenders—"are clearly outmatched."

All five Earthbenders launched stones at us; Iroh swung his chains and broke them into pieces mid-flight; Zuko blasted the two nearest him with fire. Three large boulders bowled toward Zuko as he turned to see them; they turned on my command away from him, and they exploded on cue.

The captain launched several rocks at Zuko, who dodged them and returned fire. The captain raised two sheets of rock; Zuko was shadowed by the towers, and he looked afraid—Chains wrapped around the Captain's feet, and his feet were pulled to the ground by Iroh. From the left and from the right, recovering Earthbender soldiers came at me with wielding rock shields.

Zuko appeared by my side.

"This is starting to get old," I said angrily.

With a forced grunt, I shot back the Earthbenders off their feet; they rose into the air, and I slammed them hard into the ground with an almighty pull. Their bodies dented the rock, and they cried out in pain.

Zuko placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me from hurting anybody else.

Iroh smiled proudly.

"Now," said Zuko calmly, "will you _please_ put on some clothes?"


	18. Against an Armada

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Eighteen: Against an Armada

When we returned to the ship, the soldiers reported that they had seen the flying bison cross the river in the clouds; however, something had diverted the Avatar's attention, and the team had retreated to the west. Zuko mapped out the course and handed it to the helmsman; he ordered him to stay on the course unless they spotted the Avatar again. With the mission once more active, and a lead to follow, Prince Zuko led the ship through a calm, steady river.

To me, the woodland areas and the rivers were nature's gifts upon humans, and it was us that destroyed it with not a single thought about who could be affected. When I resided on the island beside the Air Temple, I had focused on the pleasures of creating a safe environment for the animal kingdom. In this way, I became attached the wild life and its principles, and because of that, I respected the ways of the Earthbenders and Waterbenders, admired the way that the Airbenders lived, and respected the Firebenders for their energy and life. Although understanding the four elements is the Avatar's duty, it's a recommended practice for any bender. Understanding the four elements creates a whole person, which makes the Avatar so powerful.

This is one of the reasons why I enjoyed a simple hike through a forest or wading in the shallow end of a pool.

If the four nations stood together as a whole, and they cared about one another instead of raging war then the world would create an era of peace and kindness. If outside forces attempted to destroy a unified structure, the walls of all four nations could protect the other and weaknesses would be limited. Divided, everyone was weak and at fault.

I admired Azula because she honed power and incredible abilities, and she might have been the Firebending prodigy of my generation. What made her so flawed was that she didn't master her control: over Firebending, yes, but she didn't understand love, or compassion, or understanding. Azula's idea of friendship was keeping close the people who could be useful to her, but if they showed any sign of weakness, they were cast out.

As a child, I looked up to her because she was so awe-inspiring; and although she was cruel sibling to Zuko, she was knowledgeable in the history of the Fire Nation and—dare I say it—a bit humorous. But my opinion of Princess Azula changed when I failed to harm her, and in turn, she burned me.

Night time came upon us in the form of a cloudless sky and a half moon. Lt. Jee appeared beside me.

"Commander," he said calmly, "perhaps you should get some sleep. You've been up since yesterday afternoon: you haven't slept since General Iroh was rescued from his captors."

"I have a lot on my mind." I said.

"The soldiers are becoming quite curious about what you have to benefit from traveling with Prince Zuko."

I turned to him questionably.

"Do they?"

He nodded certainly.

"I know it's not their place to question your loyalty—nor is it mine—but you're so talented in many ways, and you really never showed interest in returning to the fatherland." He handed me a cup of steamed tea. I took it politely. "General Iroh has a brother; Prince Zuko has a father and a sister. But from what I've heard, you have no family to go home to. If it's not too bold to say, I would think that you're intending to put your life on the line for Prince Zuko because you feel for him."

I smiled sadly.

"Prince Zuko and I have no interest in each other like that."

"Well," said Lt. Jee uncomfortably, "perhaps I'm just assuming this, but from the times that you save him from a fight and what not, he does seem to show special appreciation."

"There is nothing between Zuko and me," I said sternly.

He bit his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'll leave you to your thoughts."

I frowned at his retreating back.

I wanted to admit to Lt. Jee and I liked Zuko, but he had told me not to let the soldiers know about the possible chemical romance. I felt downcast after stating that there was absolutely nothing in the air between Prince Zuko and me, and I felt even worse as I gazed into the cup of tea, and could only think of what it would be like to be the girlfriend of the Fire Lord prince.

"Did you mean that?"

I was startled. Zuko put a hand on my shoulder to calm my pounding heart.

"It's just me," he said assuredly.

"Mean what?" I said breathlessly, straightening.

"Did you mean what you said? About us?"

"What _us?_" I snapped. "According to you, there is no '_us'._ According to you, there never _will_ be an 'us'. If the soldiers can tell that you and I could make a compatible pair, why can't you just admit that—"

"My mission," said Zuko strongly, "is finding the Avatar, not a date."

"If that's true then why did you ask me about if what I said was what I meant?"

"Can't I just be curious?"

"No," I said irritably. "A boy doesn't ask a girl if what they meant was true unless they are really concerned. It's clear that you are. So say it."

"Say what?"

"Say that you like me," I said, annoyed.

"I do."

"Then why don't you _do_ something about it?" I said, confronting him.

"Because that's not the type of person I am."

What was so bizarre about our argument that night was that he was extensively calm and collected and I was the one who was losing her temper.

"Zuko," I said angrily, "it's not that hard. The soldiers already see it; they know that we have some kind of connection. I'm not sure what kind of connection it is, but we have it! You know it, and I know it! And if you weren't so stubborn, you'd do something about this!"

"What do you want me to do?" asked Zuko crossly. "It's not like I can stop the ship and take you to some restaurant; I have a few things to do that take a higher priority than a dinner."

For a moment, I thought something actually stabbed me in the heart.

"Ah, I see," I said coldly. "Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better, Zuko."

He winced.

"Mura, that's not what I meant. Look," he said, attempting to recover, "I know that you're angry, and I know that this mission is taking a lot on you—it's doing that to me, too—but I _have_ to find the Avatar first. If you want whatever it is that's supposed to happen to become what it is you want, it has to be _after_ I find the Avatar. And if you want it to happen, you _have_ to come home _with_ me."

"I told you," I argued, "I'm _not_ going back to the Fire Nation."

"Why _not_?" asked Zuko angrily.

"Because your father is the one who took mine away from me. Your sister turned her back on me and burned me. Your father called for my arrest."

"You tried to rob my father—"

"I WAS TWELVE!" I screamed furiously.

The boat rocked beneath our feet with a jerking sensation. The helmsman cried out in surprise. The boat tossed Zuko and I into the weaponry rack; the swords and axes crumpled to the deck in a heap. Zuko pulled himself to his feet.

"You belong in the Fire Nation," said Zuko. "They'll understand that you helped me."

"I'm not going back," I said. "I don't have the rage or the drive that Firebenders have. All the people I talk to say that the Fire Nation is a tyrannical order, and you expect me to believe that if I come back with you, the Fire Lord will simply _welcome_ me with open arms? How _stupid_ do you think I am?"

"Mura, you don't know what you're saying."

I sighed in exasperation. He looked at me, slightly hurt.

"My father won't let us to be together if you don't come back with me; he probably knows by now that you're on my ship because Commander Zhao probably sent word to him. If you don't return with me, he'll know that you're a traitor. You won't another chance. I'm _giving_ you that chance."

"Why do you make Fire Lord Ozai out to be forgiving and understanding?" I asked quietly, stepping toward him. "Why, Prince Zuko, do you think that your father could possibly let you return after all this time?"

"You're starting to sound like my uncle…" Zuko said disdainfully.

"Someone has to." I said, and I immediately regretted it.

"You know what," he said furiously, "you're not exactly the 'right' person to nag me about having a temper or not accepting the truth. My father is a powerful man, and he'll understand that it took me this long to find the Avatar. I have accomplished more than what my grandfather has in two years. _I _found the Avatar. You can't tell me that you have the most calm temper on this ship. You've lost it quite a few times around me. What makes you think that you can talk rot about my father when yours let you pay the penalty for his lies—"

"My dad did not LIE!" I shrieked.

The boat rocked recklessly again.

"Helmsman, keep the ship _still!"_ Zuko cried out irritably.

"It's not him!" I snapped. "IT'S ME!"

The boat tossed aggressively in the calm waters.

Zuko and I both lost our balance, and we fell off feet. I staggered to regain lost composure.

"My dad said that I was a telekinetic," I breathed angrily, "and I was, but I wasn't about to throw down with Azula and throw her down a flight of stairs!"

"You should have," said Zuko furiously, "she's a twisted psychopath!"

"She was my _friend_ then, it was against my morals—"

"It wasn't your morals that stopped you," said Zuko, stepping toward me, "it's because you were too weak!"

Well, our argument might have lasted the entire night if General Iroh hadn't surfaced. He had become aware, according to him, that the entire crew had become suspicious of the rocking ship on a steady river that they all had come aboard to find Zuko and me literally screaming at each other.

He hadn't come up in time, for when Zuko told me that I was weak, I punched him in the face, and we were lost in a battle of a physical throwdown. It was a highly reckless move on my part, considering that my physical abilities were mostly ranged in evasive maneuvering. Zuko retired to Firebending, and I fought with levitating weapons. Iroh stopped the fight by Firebending at us both, which created a unison of surprise between Zuko and me.

"Can the two of you get through one night without attacking each other's throat?" said Iroh disapprovingly. "We're all just a little bit tired from being at sea so long. Commander Mura, you haven't gone to bed yet."

I glanced at Zuko, seething, and quietly took Iroh's hint.

I didn't go to sleep immediately. I couldn't. I lay in my bed with my arms tightly folded across my chest. The more I thought about the argument, the less I was able to want to fall asleep. I glared at the ceiling.

I was a bit puzzled as my bedroom door opened, and Prince Zuko entered with an expression of summon patience.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him fiercely,

"For someone who should know about Firebending, you do that a lot to me."

He frowned deeply.

"I see that you're still upset."

"Upset? I'm not _upset."_ I sat up. "I'm _furious_ with you. What do you want?"

"Look," he said, closing the door, "what I said was out of anger."

"All of it or just the part about how I'm 'weak'?"

"You're not going to hear what I have to say, so why do I even try?" he said irritably, turning to leave.

"Wait."

He looked at me.

"Why?"

I sighed. I rose to my feet and approached him.

"Zuko, I can't return to the Fire Nation; I've seen what it's done to others. I've seen what _I've_ done to others, and although I do it out of the necessity for your mission, I can't help but think that you're searching for the Avatar for all the wrong reasons. You're more than just some prince who wants his honor back. You don't have to find the Avatar to win your honor. Sometimes, it can be regained by other deeds."

"If you're so loyal to me," said Zuko, "why do you keep telling me that capturing the Avatar isn't something that I should do?"

I felt my face flinch.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt…" I said lightly. I set my hand precariously upon his face. "Again…"

He grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand away.

"I'm not."

He turned to walk of the room.

"Stop telling me what I can and cannot do. Maybe then we won't argue all the time."

I watched him walk out.

I felt even worse after our conversation.

When the ship stopped, I woke from a distressed sleep. Blurry-eyed and confused, I was forced out of my stupor with a pounding headache that left my gasping in pain. A soldier entered my room talking loudly, and I only caught a few words from his announcement.

"Shut up." I said grumpily, and I tried to focus. "Just shut up for a moment."

"General," said the soldier in front of me, "It's worse than what you anticipated."

I recognized the soldier's voice as Lt. Jee. General Iroh knelt in front of me, holding a cup of Ginseng tea. His face carried a gentle expression. He lightly nudged me to take it without question. I did, but I felt only slightly better. Groaning through the mind-numbing spin as I rose to my feet, Iroh pulled me back to my bed when he realized that I had fallen asleep while angry.

"Easy," he cooed, patting my back, "Easy."

"What's happened? Why have we stopped moving?" I asked.

"We've pulled the ship ashore. The Avatar was seen flying overhead from Senlin Village. We have to go ashore. Prince Zuko will need your assistance."

"Is that right?" I muttered, disgruntled.

"Do not let your hurt feelings stand in the way of your duty." Iroh chastised me delicately. "You may think you know what's best for Zuko, but as long as he's determined, he won't hear of it. Can you stand?"

"Yes."

"Come on, my dear."

Iroh and I appeared on deck. Zuko was waiting for me by the bowsprit. He looked as bad as I did; however, he seemed more wakeful. He and I made eye contact, but neither of us said anything. It was awkward; that was something that didn't need to be said.

Senlin Village was a small town that neighbored a vast forest full of various wildlife. It was also cursed by a forest spirit named Hei Bai, who was furious at the villagers for destroying several acres of forage. The land had been scorched by the Fire Nation, but the spirit was angered by the humans, never mind the nation that was responsible. However, as Zuko, Iroh, and I traveled into the woods and came upon the village, I took notice that some of it had gone unharmed. Apparently, during the Avatar's stay, he had healed the town by crossing into the Spirit World.

Zuko, Iroh, and I came upon a man who stepped out of his house, rubbing his eyes in fatigue. As he was walking out, he walked directly into Prince Zuko. The chief stepped back in surprise, looked at Iroh then to me, and gasped with obvious fright on his face.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Zuko said. He pushed the Chief back into the doorway. "Seen the Avatar lately?"

The chief of Senlin didn't give the Avatar's directory so easily; however, after Zuko's interrogation, and my demonstration of how easy a glass vase can break once it's slammed into a wooden floor twice, the chief pleaded for the actions to cease if he told us where the Avatar was headed.

According to the Water Tribe peasants that traveled with him, the Avatar was headed to the Fire Temple, which was in the Fire Nation. When we learned of it, Zuko made a course to the Fire Nation Temple, and above us, the flying bison soared quickly through the clouds.

As the ship raced through the ocean, I especially felt quite anxious about the entire situation. Zuko looked through a telescope to keep an eye on the Avatar's trail.

"Sailing into Fire Nation waters…" Iroh contemplated, concerned and frustrated. "Of all the foolish things you have done in your 16 years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish."

"I have no choice, Uncle," Zuko said.

"Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you?" Iroh said angrily; his voice diminished into anguish and worry, "What if you're caught?"

"I'm chasing the Avatar. My father will understand why I'm returning home."

"You give him too much credit," said Iroh. "My brother is not the understanding type."

We came just below the Avatar's bison.

"Raise the catapult," Zuko ordered.

The catapult was raised from below onto the deck of the ship. It was loaded with a steaming and smoldering projectile. Iroh fanned himself, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Really, Prince Zuko," he groaned, "couldn't you shoot them down with something more fragrant?"

Zuko ignited the projectile. He raised his arm in the air. He turned to me.

"On my mark…"

A pause.

"FIRE!"

The gear beside the lever mechanism jolted on its own; it let loose and the fiery projectile hurtled into the air. It aimed straight toward the occupants on Appa. At first, I thought it was going to make contact; however Appa swerved just in time.

"Zuko," I said nervously, "we might have a few things to worry about…"

"What, Mura, _what now?"_ said Zuko, staring up into the sky at the fleeing sky bison. I pointed ahead.

"That."

He followed my finger and his eyes widened.

"A blockade."

A double line of Fire Nation war ships stretched to the horizon; each ship was lined with trebuchets. I stared at the massive fleet.

"Technically," said Iroh thoughtfully, "you are still in Earth Kingdom waters. Turn back now and they cannot arrest you."

Zuko glared at his uncle.

The commander in charge of the blockade, of course, was Commander Zhao, and I was not exactly able-bodied at the moment. I approached Zuko apprehensively; my hand clasped his shoulder, concerned. He turned to meet my nervous gaze.

"Prince Zuko, Commander Zhao is relentless; he'll capture you _and_ the Avatar."

Above us, the flying bison showed no sign of avoiding the Fire Nation armada; the Avatar was not afraid of running the blockade. If he didn't want to detour then there was a very good chance that the Avatar had to go to the Fire Temple and quickly. Zuko apparently took notice of this too.

"He's not turning around," he said, determined.

"Please, Prince Zuko," said Iroh, walking up beside me, "if the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing that I can do. Do not follow the Avatar."

Zuko bowed his head and turned from Iroh.

"I'm sorry, Uncle." To the helmsman, he pointed forward, "_Run the blockade!"_

I looked at the armada. I felt sickened by the charge of the ship; though I had to admit to myself that I sort of _wanted_ Zuko to challenge Zhao's war ships.

He turned to me patiently,

"It's fine, Mura…" he set a hand on my shoulder consolingly. "_You'll_ be fine."

From Zhao's ship, I saw a barrage of fire balls blast from each armada. They sailed toward us in a red, orange, and yellow volley; the ship illuminated with the light. Several missed the ship and landed in the water; Lt. Jee, Zuko, Iroh, and I struggled to keep our balance as the ship rocked aggressively. Water swarmed the deck and crashed against us. Another fireball hit the back part of the ship, and jolted us to the deck, knocking us off our feet. I cried out as the hit smacked me against the edge of the boat. Zuko grabbed my hand as I was almost tipped off the edge. He pulled me back over.

"Mura—"

"I'm fine," I said abruptly.

The engine master called to him, and he pointed to the billowing smoke and the loud fire that came from the propellers,

"Prince Zuko, the engines are damaged! We need to stop and make repairs!

"Do not stop this ship!" Zuko ordered directly.

He turned to me.

"Can you concentrate on the ships that we're about to run into?" he demanded.

"Zuko, they're _warships,_" I said incredulously. "I can't—"

"_Try!_"

My head started to pound as I started to grow frustrated with him. I wasn't fully rested. However, I wasn't about to get arrested by a man with a bigger temper than Zuko; so I gave it a shot.

Iroh tried to stop me, but Zuko halted him in mid-step.

I stepped toward the bow of the ship, and despite the threatening throb in my brain, temporal waves connected to the metal of a war ship that sat floating in our way. I raised my fingers in the air, attempting to at least mentally grab hold of the ship; but it was heavier than what I was used to hoisting.

I could lift humans since they usually weighed from 100-280 pounds, but a warship weighed several tons, and more than that. As I tried to levitate it, I felt my blood rush straight to my head, and I felt my cheeks burn with frustration and pain. I uttered pained grunts as I tried with all my might to focus entirely on the ship.

It levitated just an inch from the water; the crew on top of the deck cried out in surprise and fear. Just as I levitated it, another avalanche of fireballs volleyed toward our ship in unison; Zuko grabbed me by the waist and pulled me out of the way as a hot stream of ash poured from an oncoming fireball.

The ship fell back into the water.

I could only gasp in agony as my brain was clobbered by throbbing palpitations.

I staggered to my feet and leaned against the edge of the ship to regain balance on the ship. As our ship neared the armada, the ships of the blockade moved toward each other to bar the way.

"We're on a collision course!" Iroh called.

"We can make it!"

But as we came into the way of the course, Zhao's barring warships cut their engines and Zuko's ship slid easily through the blockade. I looked up to the warship that we passed, and Zhao gazed down at us with a determined look. Zuko glared daggers at him. Iroh stroked his beard pensively. Zuko, Iroh, nor me knew what to make of Zhao's move. I leaned against the edge of the ship tiredly.

Zuko's damaged ship sailed through the water. Dark, black smoke billowed from the back of the ship. Prince Zuko's hand gripped the bar of the railing; he was irritably suspicious.

"What's he up to, Uncle? Why didn't Commander Zhao arrest me?"

"Because he wants to follow you," Iroh said. "He knows that you'll lead him to the prize that you're both after…the Avatar."

"If Zhao wants to follow our trail of smoke then that's exactly what I'll let him do."


	19. The Fire Temple

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Nineteen: The Fire Temple

I pressed a heated, wet washcloth to my forehead. A sigh of relief escaped my mouth as I sat against the edge of the bow, relaxed and calm. I glanced up at the smoke stack emitting from the damaged engines, and looked behind the stern. A good way behind us was Zhao, tailing us. I doubted that the commander knew that Zuko and Iroh were aware of his presence; however, as hot-tempered as the man was, Zhao was intelligent (how else would he have climbed through the ranks so quickly?) and I considered the certainties that Zhao knew exactly where we were going.

Zuko shared the same idea as well, for he was watching the smoke stack with narrowed eyes. He came to me with an outstretched arm; and although I didn't know what he was about to do, I took his offered hand. He led me to the back hatch of the ship, and I watched a smaller vessel lower into the ocean, shielded by the curtain of smoke. Zuko looked at me without saying anything; I did what he wanted me to do without him asking. I stepped onto the boat's foredeck; Zuko joined me. Iroh came to the edge of the bowsprit questionably.

"Uncle," explained Zuko, "keep heading north. Zhao will follow the smoke trail while I use it as a cover. Mura and I are going after the Avatar."

Iroh grunted, stroked his beard, and shook his head disapprovingly.

As our small ship deployed, it landed safely in the water and disappeared into the smoke. Zuko brought me to the helm.

"Thank you," he said gently.

"For what?" I asked casually.

"For not questioning me," he said clearly.

"What has that done for me so far?" I retorted. Zuko gave me a cold look; however, I was smiling, and his expression softened when he noticed that I meant it playfully. "I do have to say, Prince Zuko, that although I'm all for you catching the Avatar, but I'm not too excited to be in Zhao's line of fire…so to speak."

"I didn't want you aboard the ship in case he apprehended it," Zuko explained. "After I thought about a few things, I'm still not sure why you think that we are a wrong side, but I guess that I have to respect your opinion. I don't want you to get arrested."

"That's sweet," I muttered.

"I also want to tell you that," said Zuko hesitantly, "perhaps I asked too much of you when I told you to move one of Zhao's war ships. I know you've got some power, but you didn't really sleep last night, did you? That's where your powers come from, isn't it? Sleep?"

"Yes." I said gently. "You're not at fault, Zuko."

"Well, each fight is two-sided," he replied matter-of-factly.

I shrugged. He was right.

"Well, this is it, isn't it?" I asked. Zuko followed my gaze.

A crescent shaped island appeared before us. In the center of the island was a large, active volcano. Fire and steam belched from its cone, and flowing magma created a red and yellow river bank throughout the island. It was quite magnificent and beautiful. The Fire Temple that both the Avatar and Zuko had been seeking sat on a promontory directly below the volcano. As our ship headed for the island, I steered the wheel to pull the boat to shore. We landed gracefully on the shallow, molten beach. Zuko grabbed my hand and we walked off the empty ship.

"What exactly is your plan in order to get inside, Prince Zuko?"

"We're going to infiltrate it."

"But why would we have to do that?" I asked, indicating the barren island. "There is nobody here."

"The Fire Sages rest in the temple that was visited by Avatar Roku," Zuko explained as we headed up the mountain toward the Fire Temple. "If the Avatar is headed here today then Roku must have something important to tell him. Why else would he risk his life to get through the Fire Nation?"

"Not everything is as difficult as you make it out to be," I retorted. "If there are people on here, couldn't you just turn on the charm and persuade these people to let you by."

He halted mid-step and turned to me with a slightly disgusted look on his face.

"There is nothing about what you said that could possibly be true."

"What? It worked for me." I said, pointing to myself.

"I didn't even _like_ you when we first met. The only reason why you were let on aboard my ship was because of my uncle."

"And after we fought for a while," I pressed on, "I was persuaded to stay. Zuko, just threaten great harm and you're in. That's what you always do, and it seems to work like a charm."

He looked at me, confused, then he frowned.

"You're being sarcastic, aren't you?"

I walked pass him,

"Yep."

Entering the Fire Temple, I stopped immediately. Zuko turned to me.

"You _are_ right," I told him quietly. "There are people here."

As if on cue, four older men dressed in Fire Nation robes appeared from behind spiraling, red pillars. They looked quite agitated and distraught. However, they apparently weren't too tired for a fight, for they readied themselves for a battle. Each Firebender returned to a Firebending stance. Zuko glanced at me assuredly. He didn't attack them. He merely straightened, and said with an authoritative demand,

"I am Prince Zuko, crowned prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne. I'm here to capture the Avatar. He's come here to talk to Avatar Roku."

"We know," said the eldest of the old men. "He's here already. Who's the girl?"

"She's my commander," said Zuko, indicating me with the palm of his hand.

"We are the Fire Sages who guard the Fire Temple," said the chief. "Perhaps we could work together."

"Why would we help you?" I asked, stepping forward. "You serve Avatar Roku. Why would you turn your back on this Avatar when he's returned?"

"We are members of the Fire Nation," said the chief impatiently, "and we serve Fire Lord Ozai. _That_ is why we need to find the Avatar. If he contacts Roku, there is no telling of how powerful the boy may become."

I shrugged and turned to Zuko.

"Well, that's good enough for me. What about you?"

Zuko looked at the sages.

"Fine. What do you have in mind?"

Zuko and I separated in order to follow the slightly misguided plan. To be honest with you, I think only half of it had been improvised. The Fire Sages and I searched the rest of the temple and Zuko went to find the closed doors of the sanctuary. As the Sages and I searched the worship rooms, I heard a marvelous blast a few feet from us.

"What's that noise?" I asked them curiously.

They didn't answer me for a moment.

They didn't have to, for a fifth Sage came running toward us, calling out frantically,

"Hurry! The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!"

"How did he get in?" asked the chief.

"Come see, I'll show you!"

We ran through the corridors and found the magnificent doors to the sanctuary.

The doors could have only been opened by a fully realized Avatar or five firebenders. It wasn't opened by turning a door or unlocked it with a key. There were five holes lined up on the door, each in the shape of a dragon's mouth. It was actually very fine architecture for a Fire Temple.

There were scorch marks along the mouth of each dragon, and even if the Avatar hadn't entered, something was behind the door. I felt a presence moving behind it, pacing. Below the door, under the crack, a shadow paced close to us. The fifth sage indicated the marks on the door and the moving figure.

The chief commanded,

"He's inside! Open the door immediately before he contacts Avatar Roku!"

The five Fire Sages took the horse stance, and they shot five simultaneous blasts into the dragon heads on the face of the door. Smoke appeared around the door jambs. There was a sound of metal on metal, and the door began to creak and opened slowly. Light poured from the interior, and it temporarily blinded me.

I laughed slightly, more out of the irony than the situation itself, as the light dissipitated, and a lone lemur stood inside the sanctuary. It sneezed and looked at the Fire Sages quizzically.

"No offense," I said, turning to the Sages, "but _that's_ not the Avatar."

I walked up to the chief and smacked his face, suddenly irritable.

"You idiot! The lemur must have crawled through the pipes! You've all been tricked!"

The Avatar's lemur leapt at the sage that I had been yelling at, and it knocked him down. From around us, the water tribe siblings, Katara and Sokka, jumped out from behind two columns and grabbed the two nearest Fire Sages. They pulled the Fire Sages' clothes over their heads. To my unique surprise, the fifth Sage that had warned us about the sanctuary grabbed my from behind and forced me to my knees, forcing my face hard into the marble floor.

I struggled under the man's weight, for he decided it was a great idea to sit on top of me. He grunted through his efforts.

"Now, Aang!" he called out with difficulty.

The Avatar didn't appear.

"Aang! Now's your chance!" Katara cried out.

I growled with irritation as the Sage named Shyu grappled my wrists painfully. Sokka stared at me for a moment.

"Shyu, watch out for the girl. She's Zuko's—"

Katara and Sokka froze with realization and turned their eyes to the pillar farthest away from the sanctuary. I looked up to see Prince Zuko appearing from behind the column, and he had taken Aang prisoner. He held the Avatar's arms tightly behind his back.

"The Avatar's coming with me!"

The tables turned on Katara, Sokka, and Shyu. As it happened in the past, it was like a cramp letting go as an invisible hand grabbed Shyu's cap and pulled it down over his face; I kicked him hard in his back, and he fell off me in surprise. Chains that hung on the walls came flying through the air on my word, and they lassoed around Katara and Sokka obediently. Shyu was apprehended by his fellow Fire Sages; the chief helped me to my feet.

Zuko pushed the struggling Avatar toward the opening of the floor that lead to Avatar Roku's secret tunnels,

"Close the doors! Quickly!"

The Avatar didn't go without a fight. He saw what happened to his friends; he disarmed Zuko and knocked him off balance. Aang kicked him down the flight of stairs.

"GO!" Katara cried out.

Aang banked left and jumped into the air to avoid the fire blast; he did several turns in mid-air; he used the heads of two of the Fire Sages as stepping stones on his way to the doors. I grabbed hold of his ankle—

WHOOSH!

He shot me with the most powerful gust of wind that I had ever felt. I was thrown all the way across the other side of the room, landing hard against the wall. Needless to say that my headache returned almost instantly. When I looked up, the Avatar slipped right through the door just in time.

A blast of bright white light came from behind the sanctuary doors. Zuko and the Fire Sages composed themselves, and they performed simultaneous fire blasts at the doors. This time, however, the mechanism that had opened the doors didn't response. I came up beside Zuko, rubbing my head in obvious agony. He was extremely aggravated.

"Why isn't it working? It's sealed shut!"

"It must have been the light," said the chief Fire Sage. "Avatar Roku doesn't want us inside."

I sighed irritably.

Zuko turned to me.

"Can you move it with your mind?"

"No," I said.

"You didn't even try it."

"I don't have to," I told him in quiet defeat. "I can't work against the Spirits."

"This is no time for your search of your moral values!" Zuko said angrily, confronting me.

"It's not about me!" I said furiously. "I can't work against the Spirits because they're also mind over matter as well! Firebenders can't destroy the Li and Lo, and I can't disrupt the meetings of the Avatar. It's balance, Zuko."

"Then do it because I told you to!"

"It's not a choice, Prince Zuko," I snapped at him angrily. "It's the rule. The door was sealed shut by a spirit: Avatar Roku. Even if I gave it my all, it wouldn't budge."

Zuko growled angrily.

The Fire Sages forced their traitorous companion, Shyu, to his knees, and he knelt on the floor in front of Prince Zuko. His hands were tied behind his back. The four Fire Sages stood behind him.

"Why did you help the Avatar?" Prince Zuko demanded.

"Because it was once the Sages' duty. It is still our duty."

I felt an ominous presence elsewhere in the room, and I was certain that it wasn't Avatar Roku. Before I could warn Zuko about the possible danger of staying in one place to long, there was a sound of one pair of hands clapping. I turned expectantly.

Zhao approached us with a band of Fire Nation troops. Admittedly, I cowered behind Prince Zuko as Commander Zhao came closer.

"What a moving and heartfelt performance," said Zhao. "I'm certain that the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him.

The Fire Sage chief bowed respectively,

"Commander Zhao."

Zhao turned to eye Zuko and me.

"And Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort; but your little smoke screen didn't work."

A Fire Nation soldier pushed me out from behind Zuko and arrested the banished prince. Zuko struggled; Zhao set his face in front of mine, only inches away, and he smirked.

"And you also brought your pretty witch as well," he drawled.

He grabbed my hands swiftly.

"You know," he said to me with a curious gaze, "you really are quite a girl, but if you're so talented—and I know you are—why do you still waste your talents on a prince who doesn't even want you? You should consider your value to the Fire Nation. It certainly should bode for you to be my captain than to be his little witch."

I pulled my hands away from him; a Fire Nation shoulder arrested me as well.

"I'd rather see you jump into the ocean," I snapped coldly.

He shrugged.

"Three traitors caught in a day. The Fire Lord will be pleased."

"You're too late, Zhao," said Zuko. "The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed."

"No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out."

The Fire Nation soldiers tied Zuko and me to a pillar mass. I fought them; the chains struggled against the soldiers as they tried to wrap the links of metal around us. Zhao watched in amusement as the troops surrounded the pillar. Each took a piece of a chain and together they forced it around Zuko and me.

"Mura," said Zhao, "the more you try to fight"—a soldier pulled hard on the chains that were wrapped diligently around my forehead—the tighter they're going to make your bonds."

He turned to the troop behind him were assumed the Firebending stance.

"When those doors open," he ordered, "unleash all your fire power."

Several minutes passed.

Suddenly, a blinding white light came from inside the sanctuary. Smoke billowed out of the entry way from the bottom of the door; the Fire Sages looked upon it with shock and fear; Sokka and Katara turned their heads to shield their eyes; Zhao and his troops stepped one pace back in astonishment. Zuko turned his head away from the light.

"It's beautiful…" I heard myself gasp as the light penetrated the darkest corners of the room.

The light faded, and the doors began to fully open. Two large glowing eyes beamed from the dark of the sanctuary, and smoke emanated from the darkness—

Zhao and his troops blasted the Avatar with a volley; but the blasts didn't enter the sanctuary. They were held off at the door and manipulated into a gigantic ball of swirling fire. I felt my stomach sicken with surprise, excitement, and fear, as the ball opened to reveal the heart of the fires.

"Avatar Roku…" said Shyu in shock.

Roku's fire ball drew in and he shot it out into the room. Zhao and his soldiers were knocked to the floor. The heat of the blast melted the chains that held Sokka and Katara; the chains that held Zuko and me fell apart as well. Zuko took my hand and we raced down the flight of stairs that led from outside.

Magma flew around us as we raced through the cavern.

"He's going to destroy the temple!" Zuko called out in dismay as the swirling magma around us boiled and tossed furiously.

"We'll make it!" I cried out. "Just don't stop running!"

We made it in time onto our ship—I turned back to see molten lava pouring down the sides of the volcano. Smoke billowed from the bottom of the temple, which began to sink. It exploded several times in the hot mess.

Aboard the ship, I sighed in relief.

"Well," I said cheerfully, "at least we got away."

"Yeah." Zuko muttered unhappily. "I suppose."


	20. Shen Si Ling

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty: Shen Si Ling

In the aftermath of the trip to the Fire Temple, Zuko and I had successfully escaped Zhao's clutches, and we left empty-handed; however, this wasn't to say that Zhao did as well. He didn't have a prince or an Avatar as a reward for his hard work; instead, he was given five traitors to the crown (even if only one of the Sages helped the Avatar). Iroh needn't ask what had happened to us in the temple; for the retired General noticed that Zuko was put in a bittersweet mood: he was relieved to be free from Zhao's Fire Nation troops, but he had captured the Avatar, and then he had to let him go to avoid being Zhao's prisoner.

I, for one, believed that we had quite a productive day, and I embraced Iroh with utmost happiness to find that Zhao hadn't harmed the soldiers or—more importantly—General Iroh himself. I relayed to him what had happened to us in the Fire Temple, and he wasn't too shocked to learn that Avatar Roku—not Avatar Aang—had come out of the sanctuary.

"The Avatar is the bridge between the Spirit World and our world," Iroh told me as he sat me down for another one of his delicious pots of tea. "The Avatar can call upon his past incarnations for wisdom and power. _That's_ why I am not too surprised that Roku brought down the Fire Temple." He passed a hand delicately along my forehead where Zhao's soldiers had chained me against the pillars. "I see that Zhao didn't spare you."

I touched my head gingerly, and when I looked at my fingers to see why it felt so wet, I realized that I was bleeding. Iroh rose to his feet, asked me to stay still, and he took nearby bandages and wrapped my forehead with a roll of gauze. I winced when his fingers brushed against my deep wounds.

"Looks like Commander Zhao has figured out where the source of your powers comes from at last," Iroh said disappointedly.

"It barely hurt…" I lied unconvincingly.

"It's okay to admit defeat, Mura." Iroh told me. "Sometimes, admitting defeat is better than attempting to win a forsaken victory. It just makes the pain worsen over time."

I sipped his tea.

"You can't be with Zuko at every minute of the day, Mura." Iroh told me.

"What?" I wasn't irritated or stunned by his statement. I didn't know where he was going with it, and I was compliant to hear what he had to say.

"You and my nephew are connected at the hip," he said with a smile. "I think it is cute that he has found somebody with whom he can have a special connection, but you must be wary of his decisions that he makes. After all, he attempted to run a blockade made up of fifty war ships."

"He thought that I could move them…I could have if I had just slept better…" I said, feeling guilty. "I have the power, you know."

"You have a lot of power, but it's no use to anybody if you cannot use it to the best of your ability. And," he added, "You also have a bit of a smart mouth."

"You're talking about the way I speak to Zhao, aren't you?" I asked crossly. "He's a sick man, General Iroh. I swear, sometimes the way he talks to me—it makes me think that he wants more than just my military services."

"Zhao is a workaholic and he wants power in the most militaristic ways," Iroh said frankly. "Surely, he can identify a sixteen-year-old girl when he sees one. He is not a twisted man; at least, not mentally. Though, as I have seen in the past when I was a different man, Zhao at his most ruthless moods, he is not a man you want to trifle with."

"Well," I said doubtfully, "if you had been in the Fire Temple with me, you would have thought that he wanted to make me his concubine. He's up in my face, and he gets so creepy when he does it. Makes me vomit a little in my mouth."

Iroh chuckled.

"Well, you _are_ a very attractive girl," he said courteously. "A woman is a warrior who fights for her loved ones; and when she feels that she is being threatened, she should feel like her own warrior will stand up to her enemies like a man and snuff them out in order to protect her." He nodded, contemplating. "Yes," he said. "I think Zuko—especially Zuko—feels very protective of you when you're faced with other strangers. He's the jealous type; I told you this before."

Iroh sipped his tea.

"Don't think for a moment that Zuko is the only one who is protective of you," he continued. "Lt. Jee and the others consider you to be a special part of our crew ever since you joined us. I think of you as my daughter, too," he added. "When I say that you and Zuko are compatible, I do not mean this as in a romantic pairing. You two make a fabulous team; and it would be heart-breaking to see something such as a little fight separate you from what you have now."

I bit my lip, disheartened.

"I'm not even sure _what_ we have," I confessed. "At first, I think we're getting along so perfectly. And then the next thing I know, we're screaming at each other."

"If a couple never has a few fights," Iroh chortled, "then they aren't a couple. And I expected that Zuko and you would quarrel quite often. As much as he is protective of your well-being, you are protective of him as well. Our voyage has brought Prince Zuko and you closer and closer every time you fight, and he understands your devotion to him. He values your compliance, despite how often you may disagree with him. He knows you are capable of great power, and because he knows this, it makes you a valuable crew member."

"Because I can move people at will? That's not exactly something anybody wants on a ship…" I retorted humbly.

"Prince Zuko does not see you as the rest of the world does; and neither do I. To the Fire Nation, you are a criminal against the crown, and you are a witch. Know this, Mura: the Fire Lord is not an open-minded man, and he sees you as a physical, mental, and emotional threat—not as a gift to society. You are capable of performing good deeds as well as being capable of doing bad. I've seen it myself."

I absorbed the wise man's words with appreciation. My cheeks burned with embarrassment and confidence; and I smiled at General Iroh.

"You are very kind to me," I said gratefully.

He returned my smile and sipped his tea graciously.

"The Avatar," he continued, "is an air nomad. He was raised by monks, and he has adopted the way of a saint. The Monks in the air temples believed that all life is sacred: no man is more important than the next. Just as a man is important to the land, so are the animals and the plant life that make up the ecosystem that we live off so absent-mindedly. He may be just a boy," said Iroh, "but the Avatar is in touch with all things alive and deceased. He is spiritually enlightened, and he knows that there are several ways to approach a good solution."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked curiously.

"It's important to know that not everything has a black and white answer. You, yourself, know that there are several routes to take when a path is blocked. Mura, you are a clever, brave girl, and Zuko may think that he is right to believe that Ozai will take him back, but you must understand that my brother is not the understanding type. You know this, don't you?" he said as his eyes lingered on me.

"I feel," I began gently, "that capturing the Avatar will only make the war last longer. Fire Lord Ozai doesn't want to simply kill Aang. He wants him to get into the Avatar State and then..."

Iroh nodded gloomily.

"Ozai wants to kill the line of the Avatar. If the Avatar is killed in the Avatar State, the Avatar will cease to exist. You are spiritually connected to the Spirit World because your mind is pathologically connected to the other minds of those that surround you."

"But I'm not a Spiritual Guide," I told him, puzzled. "I'm a normal being; I can only move objects—things like that. I'm not a second Avatar."

"You told me," said Iroh patiently, "that when you were in the Fire Temple, you tried to move the doors to get into the sanctuary; but you weren't able to do so because Avatar Roku didn't want you inside. You told me that Zuko ordered you to do it, and you didn't try. How did you know that—with all that power—you couldn't open a simple door?"

I pondered it for a few minutes.

"The Spirits are more powerful than me," I said simply. "They're more powerful than the Firebenders or Waterbenders that exist in the world…"

"Mura, there are no other telekinetics in the world," Iroh said with a slight smile. "You possess a Spiritual connection, which surpasses your inner strength when you are faced with a right and wrong. Avatar Roku did not want you inside the Sanctuary, and you knew this because in the back of your mind, Roku told you not to open the doors. You are not an Avatar, but your level of power has connected you to the Spirit World. This isn't to say that you can simply think about it and go into the Spirit World like the Avatar. To be frank, I really don't know what you can make of all this. However, it's true."

"How could possibly have the knowledge to explain this to me?" I asked incredulously.

"I've had my experience in the Spirit World," Iroh said vaguely. "And I know that you must be linked to a Spirit because there _is_ a spirit that is closely linked to your gift. Her name is Shen Si Ling, which means—"

"Body, mind, soul."

He looked at me with a wide-eyed expression. I shrugged with a smile.

"Yes," he continued approvingly, "Body, mind, and soul. The Spirit is a dove-like angel in an innocent form: Long, white wings and elegant dress. When she is angered, Shen Si Ling takes the form of a demon: sharp, jagged, bat wings and a touch of the medieval."

I realized what he was talking about, and he grinned when he noticed my shocked expression.

"You've known about this Spirit subconsciously," Iroh confirmed. "When Zuko and I saw you in your most powerful state, we told you that your eyes glowed and you took simultaneous, translucent forms of an angel and a demon."

"But I've gone all my life thinking that I'm just a…Well, someone who isn't like anybody else. I can't cross over into the Spirit World like the Avatar, and I'm not some witch in disguise."

"Mura, it's not like you are extremely different. You draw your powers from a source like the rest of us do. Zuko and I absorb the heat from the sun and that gives us fire. The Waterbenders push and pull the tides with the moon and the ocean, which gives them their powers. The Earthbenders wait and listen, are sturdy, and unyielding like the badger moles, which they have learned the tactic for centuries. The air nomads, as is the Avatar, learned to use Airbending from the flying bison, and they maintain a spiritual cleanse by detaching themselves from worldly concerns.

"You are a telekinetic, and your powers are absorbed from mental awareness and spatial respect. Your gift does not revolve around your mental health, Mura, but also upon your heart's content and your conscience. You love Zuko," he said affectionately, "and your powers increase extensively when he is in danger; Shen Si Ling is a part of you, and the Spirit gives you knowledge that you have never known."

I was speechless when General Iroh explained the connection between a spirit and me. I doubted him at first, but the more he explained this to me, and the longer he talked, I started to understand why my powers were sometimes uncontrollable when I was angry, and why I was able to do things that I never been able to do involuntarily.

"Shen Si Ling is not unlike the other Spirits, Mura," Iroh continued as he poured us another cup of tea. "She can be vengeful like Hei Bai, who destroyed Senlin Village when he arrived there, or she can be peaceful like Tui and La, who look after each other, circling each other in an eternal dance."

"So Shen Si Ling controls me when I'm furious?" I asked uncertainly. He considered my question momentarily and clicked his tongue in thought.

"I wouldn't say that she controls you," he said. "However, I'm not that well-read in the Spirit World. I know my share. If I had to hazard a guess, it's not too different from the Avatar State. When you unleash your inner strength (whether it is from anger or the will to protect your loved ones) Shen Si Ling lives in you and gives you the necessary power to make remarkable things happen, even if your mind suffers from it.

"This is like the time when you maneuvered the avalanche of ice from our ship when we discovered the Avatar's existence. Or when you saved the crew from drowning in the South Pole. Those are grand deeds for the protection of your loved ones. Shen Si Ling also acted within you when Zuko was attempting to teach you hand-to-hand combat, and your instincts reacted without your call. When you and Zuko fought the other day, and your anger rocked this ship that was Shen Si Ling acting in you as well."

"But that would have caused the entire crew to perish," I said arguably. "Wouldn't the Spirit want to help me keep them safe, especially you?"

"I said that Spirits can be vengeful, Mura. You are a very powerful girl, and you have a very wild temper when you lose control. Not every Firebender can control his rage; and surely, there are Waterbenders who bend the icebergs adeptly when they are furious. You rocked the boat because your abilities allow you to do so. That is why you must demonstrate meditation and control _because_ you are able to do those things."

I pondered this brilliant discovery with awe and astonishment.

"Shen Si Ling," Iroh continued, "is the spirit over mind, body, and soul. You are probably the only person who can understand the balance between the three concepts because your abilities strain on the health of each. Your mind must be rested, so it can concentrate and focus. Your body must be unharmed because pain and discomfort can distract you. Your soul and heart must be unbiased and incorruptible, for your emotions can unravel your concentration; and it can become hard to control when you are devastated."

I grasped the gist of what he was telling me.

"So," I said, weeding his words, "I'm sort of like the embodiment of Shen Si Ling?"

"Yes." Iroh said with a wide smile. "And, I have to say, that it is an honor to meet you."

He raised his cup to me and drank the rest of his tea.

As for me, I was still thunderstruck.


	21. Scars and Kisses

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty-One: Scars and Kisses

The reason why I didn't tell you from the very beginning about Shen Si Ling was because I was just as thunderstruck about her as much as I am sure that the rest of the jury is by now. Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko, along with Councilman Sokka, and Chief of Police Toph Beifong, are not too surprised by this small revelation that I've shared because they knew about it for quite some time. I wondered for years why I could become more powerful during my temper tantrums—why I could become a master Waterbender when I couldn't even bend the element—why I could destroy a whole town with little effort—

Everything that I wondered was answered, or explained, through what General Iroh told me that night on Prince Zuko's ship. I suppose that in a way, Shen Si Ling considers me to be her Spirit Guide since she cannot exist on the mortal world. As Iroh has explained to me before, a Spirit has to give up immortality in order to live in our world. That is why Tui and La live in the bodies of the Koi fish, and that is why La was able to be killed in the Fire Nation Raid in the North Pole.

Although I learned that night that my mind, body, and soul were the keys to my power, it also made me more aware of just how easy it was—and is—to take me down. My mind had dominion over my concentration, and my lack of sleep deterred my reactions to danger. When Commander Zhao's soldiers inflicted pain onto my forehead, it distracted my abilities, and it weakened my forces. My soul controls my right and wrong, which explains that when Fire Lord Ozai ordered me to hurt the Fire Nation princess, I couldn't do it because harming Azula—who was my friend at the time—would hurt me as well. I learned, too, that my soul also included my heart, which—as many know—is the core to emotion and judgment.

This has to be the most important function of my abilities, which is why I tell the jury, along with Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang, and their alliances that my emotions drove my actions during the 100-year war. My quarrels with Fire Lord Zuko encouraged my temper to harm those who were closest to me. It's not his fault, and I refuse to apportion blame onto him for my actions of late; but his opinion of me and the rest of my friends pended on my behavior.

Shen Si Ling is not to blame either, just as the Avatar cannot be blamed for destruction and chaos during the Avatar State. Shen Si Ling acts in my stead when I am overcome by fury, or overwhelmed with grief.

So with this in mind, I'll continue with my tale.

General Iroh and I enjoyed a fourth cup of tea before retiring. As I passed Lt. Jee, he bided a healthy good night's rest, which I thanked him sweetly for it. Prince Zuko sat before the low table in front of the altar, which on top of it were four candles. Like before, the flames breathed along with Zuko, illuminating the room entirely and falling to a tender dim. I stepped inside quietly and sat down beside him.

"Are you all right?" he asked. He opened his eyes and turned to me. His hand grazed my forehead, across my bandage. "That looks pretty bad…"

"I'll be okay," I said. "It's just a scratch."

"Can I see?" he asked, concerned.

"Sure…"

I unrolled the gauze; as I peeled it off, I could feel it start to sting from the breath of the fresh air it was provided. When I pulled the last layer, I saw a look cross Zuko's face that slightly alarmed me.

"What is it?" I asked, dismayed. I raised my hands to my forehead in order to feel the problem, but Zuko grabbed my hands to stop me.

"It's not that bad," he said unconvincingly.

Even as he said it, I knew that he was lying. When I told him that I could tell, he frowned.

"It'll scar," he said. "But it could be worse."

I rose to my feet and stood in front of a mirror on the wall. I could understand Zuko's shocked expression on his face.

As the jury can see, the scar that I refer to in my tale is the same that is on my forehead today, which crosses from one hair line to the other. It is the same one that resembles that of a short length of a chain. Obviously, I was given this by the same soldier who cut my forehead when he was binding me against the pillar in the Fire Temple.

In the mirror, the cuts were deep; it was a miracle that I hadn't been thrown into unconsciousness. The blood had stopped, which I was happy enough about that. Zuko was right, of course. It could have been worse. In the morning, when the swelling would go down, it would like I wore a flowery headband for far too long and dented my forehead with the impression.

Even today, I still consider my scars to be quite dainty and unique.

"It's like he branded me," I muttered, running my fingers across my face.

"'He' as in Zhao…" Zuko retorted darkly.

From the reflection in the mirror, I saw the four lit candles burst with angry flames. I turned around. Zuko looked away from me and glowered at the burning embers.

"It's not your fault," I said softly.

"Maybe it isn't," Zuko said. "Why didn't you just go into your weird state and blow the troops out the window?"

"I wasn't worried about the troops," I said gently. "I was worried about you."

"You can't worry about me all the time. It's not healthy."

"You know," I began curtly, "for a guy who doesn't seem to want to have any sort of romance with me, you seem to be quite protective whenever _any_ man tries to court me."

He said nothing in reply.

"Is it a guy thing?" I said, growing impatient. "Is it like your duty to protect me? Is that what it is? Why is it that your uncle has to tell me these things about you? Why can't you just tell me what you want?"

Zuko rose to his feet, turned to me, and said,

"If my uncle is telling you that you and I are going to be together, perhaps he's right…"

"What?"

If my mouth wasn't connected to my nose, it would've fallen to the floor. For days, Zuko had told me that he was keeping our relationship as friendly as possible; and now it seemed as if he had changed his mind entirely. I stared at him, clearly taken by surprise; I even took a few steps back to make sure he was still the same Zuko that I started to speak to from the beginning.

"I realized today," continued Prince Zuko, "that you're not just some girl who's got her head stuck up in the clouds. At first, I thought you just wanted some kind of affair to make the journey exciting. _But_," he said quickly when I frowned at him, "I saw what happened up there in the temple, and I think I know _why_ you want us to be together. It's not like I brushed you off. I've thought about it a lot of times."

"What?" I repeated, still stunned.

"You and I are nearly alike," said Zuko, "but you don't see my home as I see it. You don't see the Fire Nation as a place of royalty and structure. I still see my father for what he is: he doesn't understand what I've been through, but he will once I capture the Avatar. You see the Fire Nation as a twisted place where the people are born bad…"

"That's not what I see," I said, regaining my composure.

He patiently sighed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean that I don't think the Fire Nation is a place where people are born bad. People are mostly good, but Fire Lord Ozai doesn't respect the three other nations. Your uncle does, and perhaps you do, but Fire Lord Ozai wants only to spread Firebending into the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes just like Fire Lord Sozin destroyed the Air Nomads at the Northern Air Temple." I approached him and placed my hands on his shoulders. "I miss my father just as much as you miss yours, Prince Zuko; but I can't return home because if I do, I'm not so sure that I can be accepted. If I am, it will be because it's a trap."

"But what's the point of you and me becoming whatever it is that we should be if you're not going to come back with me when I catch the Avatar?"

"Zuko…" I said, trying to make him understand. "How many times do we have to fight about this? We both know how this discussion is going to end. I'll tell you that I can't go back; you'll say that you want me to. I'll say that I don't trust Fire Lord Ozai; you'll say that I should. And finally, when we're both angry and hurt, you'll call me a coward, and I'll tell you that you're being foolish." I sighed. "Why do we always have to fight, Zuko?"

"Maybe that's the only way we express how we feel…about each other?" he proposed hesitantly.

Oddly enough, that made more sense than anything else.

"Uncle Iroh told me that you are somewhat connected to the Mind Spirit, Shen Si Ling." Zuko said softly. "For some reason, it sort of relieves me."

"About what?" I questioned.

"Well, when you get angry, and you use your powers, it really looks like you're a demon. I sometimes thought that the only way you could become a lethal weapon was that you had to be angry. But I gave it some thought, and that's really not what drives you to become so uncontrollable."

I smiled.

"I know this," he said, "because that's what you did when I fell into the ocean at the South Pole. And that's what happened when I made you mad the other day. Uncle told me that your powers coordinate to your heart. So when you get sort of 'crazy', it's usually about…me."

"You know, Zuko, you're pretty smart for a hot-tempered boy," I congratulated.

"Well," he shrugged, "Uncle pretty much had to explain it to me. You can be pretty aggravating sometimes."

I slugged his shoulder.

"I know," I said cheerfully.

Zuko smiled.

And, to my surprise, he leaned forward, and he kissed me.


	22. I'll Save You from the Pirates

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty-Two: I'll Save You from the Pirates

The Seedy Merchant's pier was located in the Western Earth Kingdom, and it was cleverly named for the sort of company it attracted. Fire Nation, Earth Nation, Water Nation, and notorious con artists were encouraged to come through Merchant's pier as long as they had the incli_nation_ to bargain for the rare and scandalous items that the merchants provided. My father was a bender, but he didn't need to use his fiery weapons to pull in some of the idiotic customers in the world. He was a clever man with a silver tongue, and he could bargain as long as the customers believed that he was a charming man.

The reason why I mention the Seedy Merchant's Pier is because it was a location that we spent an entire day—believe it or not—_shopping. _It was also the first time that I had ever met official pirates. Sokka, Katara, and Aang can recall this moment during their journey because, yet again, our paths crossed with the same pirates.

This journey started the next morning after Prince Zuko and I shared that ceremonious kiss that started our blossoming relationship. I'll start from there.

After Zuko kissed me, I went back to my quarters, smiling, and when I drifted off to sleep, it had been the best slumber that I had ever experienced in a while. When I awoke bright and bushy-tailed in the morning, I had to remember that what happened last night had been for real, not a dream. I remembered that it _was_ true because when I looked in the mirror to fix my hair, my memory returned to me when I saw the chain-link scar across my forehead.

As I had expected, the swelling dwindled drastically; and although the scars were deep, and the wound was trying to heal, I could tell that Iroh's first aid had helped me by pass a few days of aching pain. I made myself presentable for the day.

I went to the cargo hold to feed the Komodo Rhinos, and then I went up to the main deck to inspect the sudden cries and yells that I heard just a moment ago. I hadn't expected a surprise, and what I saw was routine, actually. Prince Zuko and Lieutenant Jee were sparring off on the foredeck as a morning drill. Prince Zuko fired blast after blast at Lt. Jee, and he blocked the jets of fire with adequate practice. They continued like this for the next few minutes then Prince Zuko called for intermission.

Lt. Jee drained a cup of cold water from a pitcher. Zuko turned to see me leaning against the side of the ship, smiling appreciatively. I unfolded my arms from across my chest and greeted him with a morning salute, which he nodded to, brushing off my formal 'hello'.

"How long have you been up, Prince Zuko?" I asked, indicating the sunrise with the palm of my hand. "Seems an awfully early morning start to a long day, if you ask me; did you get any rest last night?"

"I slept fine," he said coolly. "Did you feed the rhinos below?"

"Yes, they're fed," I reported.

"I'm a bit preoccupied, as you can see"—he gestured toward Lt. Jee, who approached us with a soft smile in my direction—"so if you don't mind…"

"Ah, no more to say," I said, turning, "I'll just be in there with your uncle."

I entered the hood of the ship to see that General Iroh was playing a game of Pai Sho with three other crew members at a low table. A helmsman controlled the wheel with diverted attention. Aside from General Iroh, they saluted me as I entered; I declined for them to return as they were. Iroh noticed their reaction and turned to me with a warm smile,

"Well, someone's in a good mood."

"I'm fine," I said lightly, unable to suppress a wide grin.

General Iroh made a move on the Pai Sho table; two crew members groaned disappointedly; one smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand in obvious turmoil. Iroh waited patiently for the next move; meanwhile, he continued to speak to me.

"You know what, Commander Mura? I think that we should take a quick detour."

"Why do you say that?" I asked, knowing that a detour would take us away from the Avatar's trail. I asked in a way that would propose curiosity, but reluctance to do it. I didn't want to be at the brunt of Zuko's temper again. We just made up last night, and honestly, our constant arguing was even getting on _my_ nerves.

"Well," said Iroh casually, "it seems that I have misplaced a special possession of mine. And without it, I'm lost."

"What is it?" I asked, concerned.

"My White Lotus tile to Pai Sho: it's missing."

I stared at him, amused and conflicted. He looked up at me to see my reaction when I had said nothing in response. An entertained grin spread across his aged mouth, and he shoved a hand my way in a gesture to settle my uneasy nature.

"I'm sure Zuko will understand."

Irresistibly, I snorted aloud at his comment.

"Helmsman," said Iroh, "head a course to the Western Earth Kingdom."

The man at the helm was obedient; he jerked the wheel suddenly and the entire ship jolted in response. It rocked us viciously and threw me off balance. Lt. Jee and Zuko's cries of surprise were heard from the main deck. I casually crawled toward Iroh and sat beside him to avoid Zuko's temper tantrum.

As I had expected, Zuko entered the chamber, confronting the helmsman,

"What is the meaning of this mutiny? Nobody told you to change course!"

"Actually," said Iroh calmly as he made a move on the Pai Sho game board, "someone did. I assure you it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko."

Prince Zuko glanced at me swiftly before turning to his uncle,

"Is it something to do with the Avatar?"

"Even more urgent. It seems," Iroh said with a slight chuckle, "I've lost my lotus tile."

Zuko's voice retreated into a mystified tone,

"Lotus tile…?"

He was as dumbfounded as I had been.

"For my Pai Sho game," Iroh said more clearly. "Most people think the lotus tile as insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ."

Zuko, incensed, said in reply,

"You've changed our course for a stupid lotus tile?"

I looked to Iroh,

"See, General? I knew he wouldn't go for this…"

"See," said Iroh, "You and Mura are like most people: you underestimate its value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port of call. Hopefully they'll have the lotus tile in stock and I can get on with my life."

Zuko worked hard to contain his anger, and he ultimately released gout of flame from his mouth and smoke from nostrils; it licked the ceiling. As smoke filled the room, Iroh smiled gleefully and said,

"I'm lucky to have such an understanding nephew."

Despite his obvious disapproval of the detour, Zuko angrily allowed his uncle to follow through the so-called _needed_ change of plans. I thought it was actually quite relieving to visit another merchant's stop, due to the fact that I enjoyed browsing through various collections of wild life and the weaponry that was provided for Fire Nation, Earth Nation, and Water Nation troops. I also thought it was a bit amusing to know that Zuko, hell-bent on finding the Avatar, (albeit grudgingly) allowed his uncle to find the missing White Lotus tile to a frivolous game.

It was two hours that we sailed on the sea, and we ported on the deck of the Merchant's pier in the later morning. As we came onto shore, a few soldiers followed us while others separated to find supplies, cargo, and to purchase their own miscellaneous possessions.

In Seedy Merchant's Pier, the products were various sorts from jewelry to parrots, from boomerangs to flaming arrows; and the foods were from each Nation, sold by merchants and owners who wore matching Nation robes for their supplies.

While Iroh searched the merchant shops, I grew especially attached to a Fire Nation Messenger Hawk. I was more interested in the menagerie on the spit of the land than the shops that proposed the more of the 'high-risk trading' route.

The animal handler behind the booth approached me from behind the counter while I was talking to a male hawk, which looked at me attentively, cocking his head from side to side. The merchant smiled at me.

"You look quite young to be a Commander," he said indifferently, observing my Fire Nation robes.

"It's because I take good care of my skin," I retorted, looking at the Messenger Hawk with interest.

"Must be. You really are a pretty girl."

The hawk responded with a small coo from its copper beak.

The merchant laughed warmly,

"Looks like he thinks so too. You have a certain inner love for animals, don't you? I can tell. The bird doesn't seem to have any enmity for your presence."

I looked at the merchant in little surprise.

"Well, I guess I'm just in touch with my inner animal than I am with people," I said loosely.

The Messenger Hawk tooted wistfully and rattled his wings in his cage. He really was a beautiful bird, as I believed that its entire species was. He had tawny red feathers, a sleek back with slender wings and a relaxed tail; its eyes were amber like Prince Zuko's. I suppose, in that moment of time, that's why I liked the animal so much.

I slipped my hand through the metal bars and petted the creature's feathery head. It tooted again. The merchant betrayed an anxious expression as a stroked the hawk's vibrant feathers. I looked at him, eyeing his disposition.

"I tell you what," said the merchant. "You must have been promoted just recently in order to be a Commander of a ship. So here's what I'll do: I'll give you the bird for a congratulatory present. How's that?"

I looked at him suspiciously.

"What's the catch?"

"You must be misunderstanding me," said the merchant with the same warm smile. "I sincerely offer you this hawk as a promotional gift. He _does_ seem to like you a lot."

I glanced at his other beasts for sale. What I realized afterward that of his vast collection of birds, beasts, and creatures from far and wide (and his Messenger Hawks); this one that he offered so willingly was the only one that was caged.

He must have understood—or followed—my gaze, for he put his cards on the table.

"This hawk comes free because every time he is purchased from my menagerie, the buyers are attacked. Apparently, this one is biased. I can't sell him without having to keep the refund on hand."

"So _that's_ the catch," I muttered. "Why does it attack your customers?"

"I guess it's distrustful," said the merchant. He was at a loss. "I'm not sure what makes it so angry at its masters. But you're the only person that it has shown at least a little interest in. I guess it's just coincidence, isn't it?"

I looked at him frankly.

"Yeah." I muttered, not surprised. "I suppose it is…"

"Well, do you want to take him out or what?" asked the merchant.

"I suppose," I sighed. "I mean, what harm could it do at this point?"

"My thoughts exactly," the merchant agreed quickly.

As he reached for the door of the hawk's cage, it lunged for his fingers and nipped his thumb. Blood rushed from his nail; he jerked his hands away from the cage and gasped in pain.

"Ooh," I grimaced. "That's a nasty cut…"

"Yes…I'm afraid it's not the first," the merchant muttered coldly.

"Perhaps I'll try?"

He gestured for me to give it a go.

"Easy, boy…" I whispered to it. He stared at me unblinkingly. "That's it. Watch my eyes. Don't look at my hands…"

"Why are you talking to it as if it's a human?" asked the merchant impatiently.

"Because," I said, still eyeing the bird in a staring contest, "if Messenger Hawks can understand destinations, they obviously understand common speech as well…"

"That's ridiculous," hissed the merchant.

The Messenger Hawk cried out in disapproval and flapped his wings wildly. I glared at the merchant.

"You're not exactly helping my case," I snapped at him irritably.

"Sorry, sorry…"

I returned my attention to the bird, and unlatched the cage door slowly.

"Easy, boy," I said to it calmly. "Don't make any sudden movements. Now come out of your cage. Climb onto my hand. Come on."

It hesitated. The merchant ducked under his booth. The hawk tweeted coolly, and it detached one foot from its comfortable branch to set a foot on my wrist. Its long talons lightly prickled my skin. I could easily understand why he was returned consecutively; one cut to the throat would leave any person hemorrhaging blood. His amber eyes watched me closely. Inside, my stomach turned uncertainly. Then the bird set his other foot onto my bare knuckles.

"Good, boy," I said quietly. "Easy…"

I maneuvered my hand out of the cage and closed the door slowly. It flapped its wings in freedom, and cried out loudly at the merchant who slowly rose to his feet to stare at the magnificent creature. The hawk side-stepped along my arm, and finally settled on my left shoulder where it bathed itself.

"Thanks for the gift," I said gratefully, smirking at the merchant.

"Anytime, Commander…" the merchant retorted with a cold smile.

I searched the rest of the market with my new pet perched on my shoulder. Although it was used as a Messenger Hawk, I merely wanted it because it was more a familiar than a postman. I enjoyed its company as I passed through the cobblestoned streets, searching for General Iroh and Prince Zuko.

I mulled over several names to call my newfound friend, but all the names that I came up with seemed too obvious in a manner, such as 'Claws' or 'Wings'. So, unintentionally, I just stuck to the name "Red".

When I passed through the merchant's pier, I recognized Iroh and beside him was Zuko, who looked clearly unhappy.

I arrived at Zuko's side. He turned to look at me and jumped when Red squawked at him.

"Why do you have a messenger hawk?" said Zuko irritably.

"No one else wanted him," I told him casually. "Apparently, he attacked his new masters, and the merchant that owned him gave me Red for free to get rid of him. I don't know; he seems to like me."

"Red?" questioned Zuko. "You named your Messenger Hawk?"

"He's not _just_ a Messenger Hawk," I retorted reproachfully. "He's my pet."

"They're mailmen," said Zuko, raising a finger to Red, "not pets—Ah!"

As he said it, Zuko drew back his finger as Red lunged at him.

"Oh," I added with a smirk, "he can also understand what you're saying."

"Most of them do," said Iroh on the side.

"Yeah," I agreed, "but Red is easily offended."

"Great," said Zuko irritably, "so you have a new pet, and we're still _nowhere_ close to the Avatar's trail. This was a useless detour!"

"You didn't find the White Lotus tile?" I asked curiously, and slightly surprised.

Zuko crossed his arms. Iroh shook his head.

"No. I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace."

"So aside from Red," I said gently, "this trip was a waste of time?"

"Quite the contrary, my dear. I always say that the only thing better than finding something you were looking for is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!"

A parade of Fire Nation soldiers walked by us carrying armloads of merchandise that General Iroh had apparently purchased while I had been preoccupied with acquiring Red. The last soldier carried a load of instruments; including a large brass musical instrument.

Zuko gave the soldier a look and turned to his uncle,

"You bought a Tsungi horn?"

"For music night on the ship," said Iroh with a delighted grin. "You should participate, Prince Zuko. Commander Mura has the most beautiful singing voice." He nudged him in the ribs. "Now if only we had some woodwinds…"

Iroh led the way through the street. He walked for a few minutes along the outskirts of the town, and then he pointed excitedly to a ported ship by a pier. It wasn't a ship was belonged to any nation, and I knew this from studying International Naval Affairs with my father while I was rather young. However, despite its uniqueness, Iroh insisted,

"This place looks promising!"

Iroh, Zuko, and I filed in through the threshold of what I immediately realized was a pirate ship. The big hint was that the head of the crew was a man dressed in a large, feathered hat and an iguana parrot was perched on his shoulder. My hawk cooed unpleasantly; Red and the rivaled iguana parrot chirped resentfully at each other. I held fast to its feathery body, holding Red in my arms. Zuko looked at me with a cross expression.

"Still think it was a good idea buying that thing?"

"Yes," I said strongly. I felt Red's talons scratch my arms in protest. "Yes, I do."

Iroh didn't pay any heed to my restraint with my new pet; he apparently felt that I was well able-bodied to control him. The iguana parrot that was perched on the captain's shoulder quieted as I stroked the feathers on Red's back.

"_Behave," _I hissed, setting him behind my neck.

Iroh admired a red jeweled monkey statue on a shelf.

"Ooo! That is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?"

I crossed over to him and glanced at it awkwardly.

"Looks a bit devilish, don't it?" I said. "You'd probably make a better fortune by cutting its eyes out and pawning the rubies at a jeweler."

"Well," said the pirate captain, rising from his seat at a desk; he walked toward me with a casual stride. His iguana parrot watched me with those yellow eyes. "Seems like we've got a trader in our midst, lads."

He gave me a wide grin.

"Perhaps you'd like to join our crew some time," chuckled the captain.

Zuko frowned.

"You're talking to a high-ranked officer," he said disapprovingly. The captain scowled at Prince Zuko, but he nevertheless looked at me with a different glint in his eyes, and bowed to me respectively, palming his two hands in the original Fire Nation greeting. "My apologies, Ma'am. I assumed that you were a regular recruit. You're awfully young."

When he said 'young', it was like a terrible purr. I stepped away from him; as I did, Zuko stepped in front of me. He was about to say something when a pirate with long, greasy brown hair and a feminine stride approached the captain in disappointed alarm,

"We lost the girl," he said, "and the bald monk she was traveling with."

Zuko's face lit up. He turned to the pirate.

"This monk, did he have an arrow on his head?"

According to the Pirate Captain, three kids had been in the ship earlier, and they had been inspecting a Waterbending Scroll, which had been the item in question that had been stolen. The girl—which was Katara—had taken it while Sokka and Aang had been preoccupied. Now the plunderers were searching for their lost treasure, and it so happened that their precious was traveling with our own target. Prince Zuko arranged a deal with the Pirate Captain that they would hit two birds with one stone. Iroh commanded the Fire Navy ship while Zuko and I sailed with the captain. In order to stop the aggression between the iguana parrot and my Messenger Hawk, I requested to Iroh that he keep Red until we found the Avatar. Red didn't object to this; he had merely perched on the side railing of the naval vessel.

As we sailed generously slow on the gentle, moving river, I side-glanced the pirates and turned to Zuko.

"You don't really expect them to keep their side of the bargain, do you?"

The Pirate Captain apparently heard me, for he turned on his heel and approached me; he towered over my short stature,

"You got a problem with pirates, young lassie?"

"You have a poor reputation of keeping your word," I retorted, folding my arms across my chest. "And just because you're a few inches taller than me, don't think that you have the upper hand. I'm not a simple Fire Nation woman, Captain."

"Trust me," said Zuko with a small smile, "she's not."

The Pirate Captain glowered at me for a minute longer but resolved his issue, looking over the stretch of the bay before him.

"Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?" asked the captain.

"We don't need to stop," said Prince Zuko. "They stole a Waterbending scroll, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Then they'll be on the water."

I looked at the captain incredulously.

"You know, for you to be the head of your crew, you're not really bright, are you?"

The Captain clenched his teeth irritably.

"You know, Commander, something tells me that you're picking a fight."

"Even if I was—and I'm not—surely you'd want to do something about it, hm? Captain, in your line of duty, I imagine that there isn't a lot of honor among cutthroats," I said, "but I would think that a man who promotes himself as 'captain' would have the basic understanding that somebody who is a Waterbender would be practicing near _water._ That makes me believe that you're not—"

"Girl, you're making me angry," said the Captain aggressively; he made a step toward me. Zuko threw a hand out in front of him to stop him from coming any closer.

"I know that she's annoying," said Zuko seriously, "but she is _still_ one of my officers, and I _highly_ suggest that you don't make _her_ angry."

The captain frowned deeply.

"What makes you so special anyway?" he remarked. "Aside from those scars on your forehead and your pretty bird, why would a Fire Lord Prince let you come aboard his ship?"

I gestured for him to look upon his own ship to see for himself. He was obviously thunderstruck when he turned to see barrels of gunpowder emptying them in the air; the power fell in black, dusty piles. He stared at me and raised his sword.

"Witch!"

The pirates circled us immediately. Zuko uttered a frustrated groan and looked at all of them.

"Stay that sword, Captain," he said. "If you harm her, you'll answer to me."

"Tell her to stop her weird black magic," Pirate Barker ordered from behind his captain; he was the man with greasy, long hair and the feminine strut.

"It's not magic," I said coldly. I released the barrels of gunpowder from my control, and they fell with heavy _clunks_ to the main deck. "It's power. And I have enough of it if you all are thinking about going against me."

The captain gestured for his men to stand down. The pirates waited on deck patiently; the atmosphere settled. It was nearly sun down when a frustrated voice of a girl cried out in the dim light,

"_Come on, water, work with me here! Ah! Stupid scroll!"_

We docked by the nearest shore. As I stepped onto the land, I automatically could feel that someone—or something was near. The pirates took one side of the beach; and Zuko and I went around.

Just as we had expected, the Water Tribe girl was practicing a water whip by the edge of the river (and she was losing her concentration by the minute). She must have heard the pirates, for she scared easily and turned to see that one of the pirates had tried to sneak up on her. He caught her by her wrist.

"No!" she said, startled, "Let go of me!"

She bended the water whip around and it smacked the pirate in the face. He released her hand, and she charged ahead; however, she ran right into Zuko's arms, which held her fast to stop her from fleeing.

"I'll save you from the pirates."


	23. The Case of the Missing Lotus Tile

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Case of the Missing Lotus Tile

Katara was frightened when her eyes fell upon Zuko, and she struggled to pry his hands off her. It was quite impressive to see a girl fight him for once, though I could tell that he steadily grew impatient.

"_Ah,_" Zuko grunted in frustration; he shoved the Water Tribe girl to me, and I caught her as she started to fall into the shallow end of the river. "You take her." He grumbled something about "_Stupid peasants…Interrupting my missions…Always something."_

"Come on, let's go," I sighed, gathering Katara's wrists in my hands.

She waited for Zuko and the other pirate to walk out of ear-shot to speak.

"You know," she snapped irritably, "for a girl that argues a lot with that jerk, you seem to obey him whenever he bosses you around."

"That's because that _jerk_ is my superior officer," I said bitingly into her ear. "Now shut up and _walk._" I shoved her forward.

We continued to walk to the river side.

"What are you?" she said desperately. "You can't be Fire Nation; you're not a bender. I've seen what you can do. You don't have to use your powers to capture Aang. He's good; the Fire Nation only wants to destroy—"

"I know what the Fire Nation wants," I snapped at her, pulling her arms toward me. She gasped when I pulled too hard. "I know what the Fire Nation has done; I know what they're capable of. Prince Zuko is my superior officer, and he's also—"

"But you know that Aang is good, he's a monk. Why are you threatened by him?"

"_Shut. Up,"_ I said angrily.

I stamped hard on the back of her heel, and she cried out in evident pain. Zuko's attention was drawn to us as I pushed Katara against the trunk of a small tree. Zuko handed me a line of rope. I stayed in front of Katara; her bright, blue eyes widened as the rope left my hand and swept behind her, wrapping around her wrists over and over again.

"Why have you kidnapped me?" demanded Katara. "What have I done?"

Prince Zuko approached her.

"You're traveling with the Avatar. I know he is with you."

"No," said Katara, "no, I left them back in the woods. I went off on my own. I don't know where they are."

Prince Zuko glanced at me; I shook my head.

"My Commander," said Zuko in a silky drawl "disagrees. She can tell when a person is lying. You are lying to me. Tell me where he is, and I won't hurt you or your brother."

"Go jump in the river!" Katara snapped fiercely.

"Zuko," I said, rather impressed, "she's not going to tell us anything. She's been traveling with Avatar Aang for nearly as long as I've known you; her loyalties are—"

"My loyalties," Katara interrupted me brutally, "are to Aang, and there's nothing you can say or do that will make me tell you where he _is._"

"Oh, don't tempt me," I hissed, throwing a finger up in her face.

"Mura," said Zuko. He brought a hand to my shoulder and held me back, pulling me out of Katara's face. He pondered something momentarily. In the silence of the forest, a toot from the ship emitted gently. Red fluttered in the air and perched on my shoulder.

Katara's expression hardened when she saw it for some reason.

Zuko's voice softened, trying to reason with her,

"Try to understand. I need to capture the Avatar to restore something that I've lost: my honor. Perhaps," he said, circling the small tree to which she was bound, "in exchange, I can restore something that you've lost."

Zuko withdrew a necklace; the stone was engraved with Water Tribe inscriptions, which was made by a betrothed as a wedding present. Zuko held it in front of Katara's neck to show her what he meant. Shock moved across Katara's features. As Zuko walked away, she became agitated.

"My mother's necklace… How did you get that?"

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering. Tell me where he is."

"_No!_"

I made a face palm to my forehead, and I immediately regretted doing it; I forgot that I sported scars from the incident in the Fire Temple. The captain of his pirate crew rolled his eyes; he was impatient.

"Enough of this necklace garbage. You promised the scroll!"

As the captain reached for the scroll that was kept kempt in my belt, I waved it from my body; and it hovered into Zuko's outstretched hand.

"All good things," I taunted with obvious relish, "to those who wait."

"Girl, you're irritating me…" the captain started to come toward me with evident threat; however Zuko intervened on my behalf. He produced the scroll in one hand, and in the other, he made a fire in the palm underneath it.

"I wonder," he said warningly, "how much this is worth."

As the flames barely licked the Waterbending Scroll, the pirates—including the captain—gasped and some cried 'no!' The captain stepped away from me, and Zuko's handful of flames extinguished.

"Apparently a lot," he drawled. He tossed me the parchment, which I slipped into the holster of my belt like before. "Now you help me find what I want, you'll get this back, and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods for the boy and meet back here."

The Pirate Captain gritted his teeth, but he didn't challenge him.

"_Fine,"_ he said sullenly.

The pirates retreated into the woods. Zuko stepped away for a few minutes to go into the ship for a cup of tea. He ordered for me to keep an eye on the Water Tribe peasant. That left Katara, Red, and me standing by the river side.

Katara frowned at me.

"I still don't think that you should be helping the Fire Nation," she said grudgingly.

"For a peasant, you certainly can't keep your mouth shut," I retorted, sitting in the dirt.

"You don't even look like the Fire Nation type."

"I didn't know that there was a look," I said coldly.

Katara leaned her head back against the tree trunk. For a moment we were blanketed by silence.

"You must think," I said, "that because you and I are both women, it's easy for you to talk to me. Well, don't mistake my kindness for weakness."

"_Kindness? _You tied me to a _tree_."

"And you think that's the worst I can do?" I said, laughing slightly. "You really don't know who I am, do you?"

"I don't have to know who you are to know that you're a cruel person who wants to see the world burn. I thought telekinetics were supposed to be gentle people."

"Ah, so you _do_ know a few things, hm?"

"Apparently, _you_ don't."

I quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, you're spunky, I give you that one," I sighed. "It's better to see that the Waterbenders still can go down swinging."

"What are you talking about?" she snapped.

"Well," I reasoned, "the last time the Fire Nation visited the South Pole; it was to destroy the last of the Waterbenders. Looks like they missed one, hm?"

Her eyes slightly widened.

"I'm also smart," I added. "Just so you know."

"Yeah, well, for somebody who's smart, you really don't know who the real hero is around here. Aang is supposed to be creating world peace. How can that happen if your _boyfriend_ is hunting him all the time?"

"There is no such thing as world peace," I said strongly.

"There won't be if you hunt him. You have an amazing ability, but you're just helping the Fire Nation rule over the Four Nations if you don't use your powers to help Aang. You're supposed to be good. You're supposed to help. Even if you're a witch—"

I exploded,

"I'M NOT A WITCH!"

The tree to which Katara was bound vibrated furiously against the ground.

I realized that I was losing control again, and I turned away from Katara to attempt to relax. Red, who had been perched on my shoulder, cried out in dismay and agitation, flapping his wings rambunctiously.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I said quickly, grabbing him out of the air. "Sorry…Sorry…"

Katara's eyes stared at me in obvious shock.

"See," she said, "why can't you do that when you're _not_ chasing us?"

"Because my loyalties lie with Prince Zuko."

"Why?" Katara demanded. "Because he's Fire Lord Ozai's son? Because he'll kill you if you don't threaten a few people or burn down a town? What's _wrong _with you?"

"Don't try to talk to me about things you don't understand," I argued temperamentally. "You don't know _anything._ Just shut up until the pirates come back with your friends."

"Why are you working with the pirates anyway?" said Katara, pressing on.

"I told you to shut up."

"But—"

"HUSH!"

Katara's tree trembled again.

"Damn it," I hissed. "You're making me lose my temper…"

Red cried out in protest. I had to duck as he attempted to attack my face with his razor sharp talons. Zuko returned to us after a few minutes, and he came upon me with a few extra scratches than before. He gave me a look, which I returned with a gesture for him not to ask. I simply pointed to Red, who was sleeping cheerfully on my shoulder, calm and collected as a meadow vole.

It was mid-morning when the pirates finally returned to the river side, and their search had been successful. They had caught Sokka and Aang with large fishing nets; both boys were alarmed at their predicament, and they stared in astonishment to see Katara bound against the tree. As the pirates bound Sokka and Aang by their wrists, a well-rested Iroh strode merrily beside Katara, a simple expression on his face.

As was the bargain, I handed the scroll to Zuko, who was ready for the transaction. The pirates stood perpendicular to the Fire Nation. Because I didn't trust pirates, I sensed that whether or not they obtained the scroll or if we managed to grab the Avatar, both sides were going to be in a grand fight, which I was looking forward to all night.

"Nice work," Zuko said sincerely.

Katara and Aang glanced at each other with similar worried expressions. She was limp from standing all night.

"Aang, this is all my fault," she whimpered.

"No, it's not, Katara."

Iroh leaned in toward her and said,

"Yeah…It kind of is…"

Katara eyed him strangely.

I chuckled to myself. Zuko and the Pirate Captain faced one another. Even at this point, I knew that there was going to be a difficult impasse.

You know what I'm talking about, all of you.

"Give me the boy," said Zuko.

"You give us the scroll," the Captain replied.

It would have probably went on like that, though I highly doubt that the pirates would have never learned that Aang was the Avatar or that they would have realized that a Fire Nation didn't have any use for the scroll if Katara's brother would have kept his mouth shut.

Sokka opened his mouth,

"You're really gonna hand over the Avatar for a stupid piece of parchment?"

Zuko pointed to Sokka,

"Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other!"

The captain looked at Aang.

"Your friend is the Avatar?"

Sokka wriggled out of the pirates' hold and scooted beside the captain.

"Sure is, and I'll bet that he'll fetch a lot more on the black market than that fancy scroll."

"Shut your mouth, you Water Tribe peasant!" Zuko said, becoming livid.

Aang poked his head out from the captain's side, concerned,

"Yeah, Sokka, you really _should_ shut your mouth…"

"I'm just saying," said Sokka, "it's bad business sense. Just imagine how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar. You guys would be set for _life!"_

And just as I expected, the Pirate Captain nonchalantly looked at Zuko and waved his hand,

"Keep the scroll! We can buy a hundred with the reward we will get for the kid."

The pirates started to walk away.

Zuko's face tinged pink.

"You'll regret breaking a deal with me!"

Zuko and the guards that were on either side of him unleashed a torrent of flame, which bathed the ground underneath the pirates, who all jumped out of the way. And thus, general melee was born. The Pirate Salesman, Barker, jumped into the midst of the Firebenders with a war cry. Prince Zuko and his men attacked Aang and Sokka to obtain them; but just as they attempted to get near them, four pirates jumped in the way to defend their captives. I stepped in front of Zuko and pulled invisible ropes; the legs of the four pirates were jerked madly, and they fell to the ground in disbelief.

My Messenger Hawk cried out madly and left my shoulder; from the small tree, a ring-tailed lemur was chomping down on Katara's bonds, freeing her. Red went after the Avatar's pet lemur, named Momo. The pirates that I had tripped dropped smoke bombs and the battlefield instantly became a foggy mess.

"I love my job, I love my job," I said excitedly, feeling that adrenaline rush. "I like it, I like it!"

The Fire Nation soldiers approached the edge of the crowd outside the smoke and were drawn into the fight by arms of the pirates from the fog. A pair of arms grabbed me around my neck and raised me off the ground, and I gagged from the fierce grip. I kicked and writhed in the arms of my captor, and as I punched him in the gut, I felt the pang of armor.

"Whoops," I said, looking at Lt. Jee. "Sorry…"

From the fight, the Avatar was running through the smoke. Although I couldn't see him, I knew that the tense vibration of a fast wit and the light pair of feet was the Avatar. He was all over the place, and I could feel him around me. Without little thought, I flew invisible hands all over the place, grabbing legs, arms, and clothing all around me.

"Aang," cried out Sokka's voice, "are you there?"

"I'm over here!"

"Where?"

"I'm right here!"

He bended a gust of wind to separate the fog. When he did, he was surrounded by spears and swords, right in the middle of the battlefield. Realizing this, he returned to the smoke to its state and retorted,

"Never mind, I'll come find you!"

Becoming irritated, I flew through the foggy mess and found Zuko and the Pirate Captain fighting: Firebending vs. Sword. They faced off; but no one was gaining any advantage. As Zuko fought with the captain, a whip flew in the air and lassoed the scroll from out of Zuko's belt harness.

I pulled the length of nine tails with an invisible hand and pulled hard; the pirate attached the other side cried out in surprise and landed, face first, into the shallow end of the ocean. The Waterbending Scroll floated toward me; before I could grab it, the Pirate captain slammed into me with full force and shoved me into the river as well.

The captain's iguana parrot snatched it out of the air, screeching triumphantly. Then the Avatar's flying lemur coerced it; they fought while flying. Red came into sight, and he screeched malevolently, grabbing the Waterbending Scroll from the pair that were fighting. The two realized that Red had escaped with it, and the three of them squabbled, landing hard in the sand.

The Pirate Captain came toward me with his sword raised over me, ready for a triumphant strike.

Disoriented from landing so bluntly in the water, I looked up wearily to see it. The sword came down—

_WHOOSH!_

A huge torrent of hot flames scorched above me. I looked behind the pirate captain, and Zuko's face was livid with rage. He threw blast after blast, and it backed the pirate captain away from me. Realizing that the captain had just tried to kill me, I grew furious instantly.

Water surged around me.

The pirates and the Fire Nation soldiers stopped fighting as the water fell over them with an avalanche of salt water.

That's right about the time when I realized that Aang, Sokka, and Katara were gone. Zuko and the Captain's fight was rudely interrupted by an agitated General Iroh.

"Are you so busy fighting that you cannot see that your own ship has set sail?"

"We have no time for your proverbs, Uncle!" Zuko said combatively.

Iroh pointed in my following gaze,

"It's no proverb."

The pirate captain's mouth dropped as his ship literally sailed downriver.

"BLEEDING HOG-MONKEYS!"

He took off in that general direction.

Zuko burst out in hilarious laughter.

To our left, Zuko's ship followed the pirate ship, loaded with pirates. To my disturbing account, one of the pirates mooned us as the ship passed us by.

"Hey!" Zuko said, taking off. "That's my boat!"

Iroh scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Hm…Maybe it should be a proverb…"

Zuko called,

"COME ON, UNCLE!"

We chased after them, though I'm not too sure what we would have done if we caught up. I mean, really; we were on the shore and they were in the middle of the river. However, karma must have paid off during our journey; for in the short while that Avatar Aang's crew fought off the pirates, both ships fell off the side of a gigantic waterfall. Aang's flying bison, Appa, flew below the waterfall to catch its falling masters. They flew off in the horizon. Zuko looked over the edge in dismay,

"My boat!"

Iroh and I struggled to catch our breath. Red perched on my shoulder, tired as ever.

I was slightly puzzled when I heard Iroh laughing to himself. I looked at him, curious to know what exactly was so funny, especially after what we had gone through that day.

He regained his breath and chuckled,

"Hehe, Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this. The missing lotus tile was—" he produced it from his robes—"was in my sleeve the whole time!" he had a huge smile on his face.

Zuko, trying to control his breathing and temper, snatched it as fast lightning from Iroh's hand and pitched it fiercely off the edge of the waterfall.

"Well," I muttered, "at least we know that the white lotus tile is now in the river. So we won't have to search the Merchant pier again."

Zuko gave me an extremely annoyed look.


	24. United We Stand, Divided We Fall

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty-Four: United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Lt. Jee was a respectable soldier aboard Zuko's ship, and whether or not the Prince liked him, it was hard to tell. Prince Zuko's treatment of his crew was off the map; and although I knew why Zuko acted so bittersweet, Lt. Jee was the main man who believed that Prince Zuko was a spoiled palace brat; it was the same impression that I once formed of Zuko when I first met him. That was before I found out why he searched for the Avatar. General Iroh had told me all about Zuko's banishment; that tale was just something that Zuko and I never talked about. We didn't talk about my banishment either, and the crew didn't understand what exactly happened to me that day either. Only General Iroh knew about Zuko and me in full detail.

It's not a day that I like to recall, but it is a day that is crucial to my life; and even when I try to put it out of my mind, the memory haunts me every night.

"Looks like he's keeping to the course," I said cheerfully, as I looked over the bow of the ship. Although the Avatar wasn't in hind sight, the flying bison had flown north for quite some time. "They must still be headed for the North Pole, I imagine."

Red squawked at me and climbed down my shoulder, and he fluttered lightly to balance on my hand. His head cocked to the side.

"Who has pretty feathers?" I said playfully, scratching his head. "You do, pretty bird. Who's a pretty bird? You are."

"Ma'am…"

I turned to see Lt. Jee looking at me strangely. I felt my face burn red, and I smiled embarrassingly. I had forgotten that he was standing beside me the whole time. Red flew off my hand and perched comfortably on a low table beside Iroh, who pet his feathery head quietly. Lt. Jee walked beside me and looked at the world map that I had been perusing on a second table.

"What makes you think they're due north?" he asked curiously.

"Well," I sighed," a few days ago, the Avatar and his pretty friend were after the Waterbending Scroll, right?"

"Yes."

"And they still have it," I added. "Well, if the Avatar is practicing Waterbending then obviously he needs a Waterbending teacher."

"Why wouldn't the Water Tribe girl teach him?" asked Lt. Jee curiously.

"I've seen the girl do some fancy splashes, and it's impressive, but the Avatar has to learn quickly, I imagine. They'll head for the North Pole to their sister tribe. In the Southern Tribe, the Fire Nation eliminated the Waterbenders. The girl that travels with the Avatar is the only one left."

"You sure know what you're talking about, Commander," he flattered, and he gently nudged me in the shoulder with a fist.

"According to Prince Zuko, I just talk a lot," I said casually.

"That's not all he says about you." Lt. Jee said. As soon as he said it, he covered his mouth instantly and looked at me with a slightly out-of-focus gaze. "My apologies, Commander…I—"

"Ah, shut up," I said carelessly, slugging him in the shoulder. "I know Prince Zuko is a little tight around the edges. You really shouldn't let him get you down. I don't."

"Don't take this offensively, Commander Mura," said Lt. Jee cautiously, "but you two seem to argue quite a bit. I mean, it's like there a few things that just shouldn't be talked about—Not that I'm saying that there's anything wrong with the two of you—or one of you—I mean—"

I stared at him incredulously.

"Dude," I sighed, "you're all out of sorts. _Relax,_ Lieutenant. I'm not going to throw you overboard." I smiled, amused. "Lieutenant," I began compassionately, "I understand that you have seen Prince Zuko and me argue a lot in the last few days, but it's because we're all a little tired from being at sea for a long time. It is natural to become angry easily. Unfortunately, Prince Zuko and I both have nasty tempers. We come from different stock."

"But you are _also_ Fire Nation," said Lt. Jee quietly. "It's not like you came from a Water Tribe and he's Fire Nation. You were a nobleman's daughter, weren't you?"

"I was," I said, and I started to feel a little down. "I believe things happen for a reason, and the reason may not be so clear. I've had quite an experience with the Fire Nation, Lieutenant, and not all my memories are pleasant. In fact," I said softly, "most of them aren't."

Lt. Jee gave me an empathetic look.

"I know. You were a fugitive when you were little," he said kindly. "But things don't have to keep going that way. You could prove to the Fire Lord that you _are_ actually a telekinetic. I've seen you do some crazy things with your mind. It's incredible."

I winced at the thought of returning home.

"The only way that I would return to the Fire Nation was if I was captured. He would use me for a lethal weapon. I am nobody's trophy," I said strongly. "And I certainly won't go back without a fight."

Lt. Jee's eyes widened in dismay. He realized that he had said something that irked me; he set a hand on my shoulder to calm me down. I smiled sadly, and patted his hand appreciatively.

"I know that it sounds like I'm betraying my country," I said softly, "but considering the past, I might not have been a Fire Nation girl at all. The people of the Fire Nation are determined and have a drive; they know what they want, and they'll do anything to accomplish their goals." I turned to him. "I don't have that drive."

"But you're absolutely capable of tremendous loyalty," said Lt. Jee with profound adoration. "Commander Mura, you are probably the _only_ person on board who shows that she cares for the crew_ and_ for Prince Zuko's obsession."

"Why do you say that?" I asked curiously.

"Have you seen the way the prince treats the crew?"

I clicked my tongue in disapproval.

"Lt. Jee, I know that Prince Zuko can be a bit rash, but—"

"He's not rash to you, Commander." Lt. Jee said. "He respects you. But he doesn't care about the rest of the ship. Aside from you, he treats the rest of us like dirt. Even General Iroh has to put up with his hot temper."

"You don't know what's going on in Zuko's mind," I said patiently.

"Look," said Lt. Jee lightly, "with all due respect, Prince Zuko has not earned his title on this ship; he doesn't respect anyone. Except maybe you, but even towards you he's more than just a 'rough-around-the-edges'. I know what happened to you; I know your story, but you're not even that rude to the rest of us."

I looked at him oddly.

"Why would I treat you in any way than I would like to be treated?" I asked.

"Well," he said, reaching for an answer. "Okay, I only know a little about what happened to you when you were banished, but—"

"I was never banished," I corrected him. "_I ran away._ I ran away because I was supposed to hurt a friend, and when I didn't, my good deed was thrown up in my face, and my parents paid my price." I felt myself becoming angry. "I ran away before the Fire Lord could hurt me too. I shouldn't have done it, but I did."

"'Too'? Who else did the Fire Lord hurt?" asked Lt. Jee, puzzled.

I remembered that the crew didn't know how Prince Zuko got his scar, and I closed my mouth the moment I realized that I had said too much.

"Nobody that I know," I said quietly. "But the Fire Lord isn't exactly a godsend…"

Lt. Jee must have registered that I overstepped some boundaries, for he and I stood in momentary silence.

"So," Lt. Jee said sympathetically, "after that day…After so many years of being away…Do you know if your parents are still alive?"

"What good would it do me to know if they are?" I said rhetorically. "If they are, they're still living my punishment. If they're not, well…What can I do about it if it's true?"

I shrugged and looked ahead at the clear horizon.

"I live every day on this ship like one full day of excitement; and if nothing happens, it's relaxing." I smiled slightly at the Lieutenant. "Like General Iroh, I try to treat this entire journey like a long vacation."

A flock of birds flew ahead. General Iroh came to stand beside me; Lt. Jee wandered below deck to check on the hard-working crew. Iroh glanced at me swiftly before saying calmly,

"They'll eventually learn just how much you loathe the Fire Nation."

He met my eyes.

"And once they do," he said softly, "how well do you think they'll cooperate with you?"

"I don't loathe it," I muttered. "I only wish that it wasn't the only nation waging war. There's no call for it."

"There are a lot of things that shouldn't happen," said Iroh, "but they do. And it isn't wise to openly express your opinions about Ozai."

"I don't care about him," I said apathetically. "I'm dead whether or not I respect him. Why should I lie about my respect for Fire Lord Ozai when he burned his own son?"

"It sounds to me that you hate Fire Lord Ozai for a different reason than what you told Lt. Jee."

"I hate him for imprisoning my dad and for sending my mom into poverty." I said truthfully. "I hate him for making me think that the only way that I'd be free from prosecution and death was to leave my home and make a nest on an island. But I hate him most of all for hurting Prince Zuko."

"You only found about what happened to my nephew a few weeks ago." Iroh said.

"And it's a terrible thing," I said angrily.

"So what, Mura? Will you return to the Fire Nation to give my brother a piece of your mind?" said Iroh sardonically. "Will you avenge my nephew by showing the same courtesy as what Ozai did to Zuko? What will that solve, Mura? Vengeance only makes the pain stronger."

"The world would be a better place without him," I said simply.

Iroh leered at me disapprovingly.

"What?" I said defensively. "It's true. He causes pain and rage and hurt all over the world—"

"Killing is distasteful," Iroh said. "And you know this."

"Fire Lord Sozin wiped out the Air Nomads from the Southern Temple. Fire Lord Ozai murdered the Waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe. Homes were destroyed; lives were ruined…"

Iroh turned to me seriously.

"Mura, it is _wrong_ to think that taking a life is a way of solving all your problems. You must keep your soul incorruptible; murder will only make it filthy. Your powers are rounded on purity. Mura," he said strongly, "you are right: you can never return to the Fire Nation. If you do, you will do regrettable things."

"If I do," I said quietly, "I might not have any control over it."

"That is why you must focus on the silver lining during a maelstrom," Iroh said patiently. He set a consoling hand on my shoulder. "Love gives you incredible power, and so does anger; but if you let it, anger can destroy you. You must not forget how you feel for Prince Zuko. He would not want you returning to the Fire Nation to wreak vengeance on his father…"

He turned me around slowly to persuade me to look at him in his eyes.

"You do not feel that the Fire Lord will accept your return because you no longer feel a part of the Fire Nation within you. But it is not rage or hate that makes us who we are as Fire Nation citizens."

My eyes disagreed, for I didn't have to say so. He tapped his chin thoughtfully; then he grabbed the map that was lying on the edge of the bow.

"Come to the galley with me. I want to show you something. It might make you feel better."

I sighed dejectedly. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me down into the ship where we sat in the mess hall. The ruby chimpanzee statue that General Iroh had purchased from the pirates sat on the table in front of me; moments later, Iroh placed the map of the four nations in front of me as well.

"Shen Si Ling is the spirit that works through you," said General Iroh, sitting next to me. "She is the spirit of the mind, body, and soul, and is equally knowledgeable of the ways of the world; in this case, she is knowledgeable of the four elements that create the four nations, including the Fire Nation. In your mind, you are lightly unbiased against all four nations, despite your resentment toward Fire Lord Ozai or your empathy to the Air Nomads. You feel detached from the Fire Nation because you recognize that its past is wrought with cruelty and misunderstanding; therefore, you do not understand the Fire Nation itself."

Iroh indicated the Fire Nation on the map.

"Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have a deep sense of desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want." His hand crossed the border and pointed to the great city of Ba Sing Se. "Earth is the element of substance. The Earth Kingdom's citizens are diverse and strong; they are persistent and enduring." He pointed to the locations of the Air Temples. "Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and prospered in peace and freedom." His hand fell from the Air Temples and pointed to the North and South Poles. "Water is the element of change. The dwellers of the Northern and Southern Water Tribes are adaptable; they have a deep sense of community and love that enables them to withstand anything."

"Why are you telling me these things?" I asked quietly.

"Because, Commander Mura, the spirit that lives in you when you are enraged or overcome with grief is the same spirit who has knowledge of all four elements and understands the nations. You are a telekinetic, and your mind and soul are impartial to the problems of this world."

"Impartial?" I said doubtfully. "I'm not impartial! I hate what the Fire Nation did to the Air Nomads; I don't like that at all—I—"

General Iroh pressed a finger to my lips and hushed me.

"My dear, I said 'impartial', not _uncaring._"

I stared at him.

"Shen Si Ling is a knowledgeable spirit who understands the four nations because she embodies the mind. Because you are the embodiment of this spirit, you understand all four nations as well."

I looked at the map.

"I'm not sure that I know exactly what you're saying. All this talk about the four nations and me being unbiased—It's starting to sound more and more like you're saying that I'm an Avatar."

"I'm not, by any means," chuckled Iroh. "I can explain your loathing toward the Fire Nation because you understand that it was wrong for the Fire Nation to wipe out the Air Nomads. You empathize with the Southern Water Tribe for the wipe out of their Waterbenders. You respect the four elements, and you understand what makes each element special and unique. And although you say that you despise your fatherland, I know that deep down, you are angry about it because it took your home away when you were a little girl.

"You have displaced your anger for Fire Lord Ozai taking away your parents to how my brother treated my nephew." Iroh poured me a cup of Jasmine tea. "The Fire Nation embodies the will and drive to achieve what we want, which is how Firebending is created; that's what Prince Zuko thrives off when he is Firebending. Capturing the Avatar is his motivation, which makes his power stronger.

"You embody the four—shall I say—'personalities' of the four nations because Shen Si Ling understands all people."

"You're telling me that a spirit gives me knowledge about my own?" I said skeptically. "This is starting to sound way too much like Avatar stuff…"

"It is very similar," said Iroh calmly. "But the Avatar isn't the only one who can use the knowledge of the four nations and elements to make him whole."

I sighed patiently.

"All right…" I gestured for him to continue.

"You are a true member of the Fire Nation; you were born and raised in the community. When your powers are enabled by Shen Si Ling, you thrive on the will and the energy that is done in order to do what is necessary: this can be good or bad. That is why you are able to do remarkable things that you wouldn't have been able to do unassisted. Your great power, the will to keep going despite what pain shall be incurred afterward, is Shen Si Ling acting in the Fire Nation blood, which runs through your veins."

"Great, so my _awesome _power comes from a nation that condemns it. That'll be something I can tell the Fire Lord on my way to jail," I muttered sardonically, sipping my tea.

Iroh gave me an impatient look.

"It's only condemned by those who don't appreciate its worth," he told me. He cleared his throat and refilled my cup. "I think it's a beautiful gift when you help out my nephew. However, using it for the wrong reasons—such as destroying Kyoshi Island—is putting it to ill use."

I bit my lip, slightly guilty. He continued as if he hadn't said anything about that.

"When you are in pain, and your powers are activated even after your migraines begin, you are able to endure through the knowledge that a person cannot fight for long duration, and Shen Si Ling acts through you; you are a strong girl, and Shen Si Ling knows that you won't go down without a fight. These are qualities that make up an Earthbender; through that, Shen Si Ling provides you the ability to bend rock and stone."

"I don't 'bend' anything," I said tiredly.

"_You_ don't," he said, wiggling a finger at me, "but Shen Si Ling is a spirit—a knowledgeable specter—who knows the links between the Avatar and the Spirit World. During your time of need, she gives you the power to bend the rock under your feet.

"Airbenders, such as the Avatar, thrive on peace and freedom. This is probably the secondary personality that Shen Si Ling has provided you because you feel personal hatred for your country because of something that happened 100 years ago. The Avatar's people were wiped out, which leaves him to the only Airbender left. You feel compassion and understanding because you, too, are the only one of your kind.

"You refuse to help Prince Zuko if ever the Avatar is killed, which gives you the perspective that the world would lose its balance once he has vanished; this is true. The Air Nomads are in touch with the wild, their attention divided among the animals and the humans of the world. This could explain your love and affection for your new friend, Red, and why the Komodo Rhinos do not fear or loathe you."

I knew that he was going to talk about the Water Tribe next, and I couldn't help but think about the girl that was tied to the small tree. Katara of the Southern Water Tribe embodied the personality of the Waterbenders. I thought of her words to me when she said that Avatar Aang was the provider of world peace.

This, ladies and gentlemen, was where I started to doubt my loyalty to the Fire Nation and wonder if I had been working on the wrong side.

"The Northern and Southern Water Tribes take care of one another; if outsiders intrude on their home, they strike, but they strike with unity. They are adaptable to the change around them, and they understand that only through unity, compassion, and trust can they save their loved ones from danger and misfortune. They have a deep sense of helping one another through their time of need. Water is cool and soothing, and the Waterbenders implement this through the practice of healing powers.

"When I have seen you enter your state of complete control, you have entered it when you have rescued Prince Zuko. Your powers react to threats and insults to you and your loved ones. Shen Si Ling understands that you hold a personal hatred toward the Fire Nation because of what Fire Lord Ozai did to Zuko, and she understands your powers are driven by overprotection and an insatiable love for him."

"_Insatiable_?" I said awkwardly. "That seems a bit of a weird way to put it…"

"Your eyes dilate when you look at him," said Iroh simply. He smirked slightly and drank his tea. "I won't go further into that than what's appropriate. At any rate, Shen Si Ling gives you extreme power to protect Zuko when you feel that he is being burdened. She allows you to be able to protect him, but on the other hand, she gives you enough power to destroy your enemies."

Iroh leaned forward seriously.

"You have enough strength and hate to kill my younger brother, Mura," he said, "but you must try to understand that Fire Lord Ozai is not capable of change or persuasion. He will not see you as the powerful woman that you are today. He will see you as the young, frightened girl who came before him and refused to hurt his daughter. That's how he will see you, and that's how Azula will see you too. You _must_ understand this."

I looked at him strangely.

"You think I'm capable of murder…Don't you?"

Iroh considered my question carefully. He leaned back in his chair.

"You are a vigorous, potent woman who is capable of great things. I've seen you take down an entire village and I've seen you help twenty men out of a southern ocean all by yourself. At this point in time, I think the spirits would act on your call, no matter what."

He and I sat in silence, sipping the rest of the Jasmine tea, both lost in thought.


	25. The Storm

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Storm

I retreated to my quarters after speaking with General Iroh. Once more, the spirit Shen Si Ling had come up in our conversation. As much as I found it flattering that a spirit would grant me powers beyond my knowledge, I found it equally disturbing. To know that I was capable of protecting my family and friends while at the same time being able to hone power to kill my enemies, I wondered about my place in the universe.

Was I supposed to ultimately help the Avatar or was I meant to hang in the balance, always in the middle between good and bad? It sounded to me like the spirit, Shen Si Ling, was not just a specter over the mind, body, and soul; Iroh almost spoke of her as if she was my mother, somebody who was watching over me and protecting me when I couldn't bring myself to it.

So I meditated in my room to adjust my emotions, to detach myself from my worries and concerns in order to purify my thoughts. Things around the room startled tremble like they did when I meditated; the candles on my night stand floated out of their holders, and the flames danced to the rhythm of their vibrations. Even my bed hovered a few inches off the floor behind me. My bedroom door and my closet door opened and closed slowly with an eerie creak.

Lt. Jee interrupted,

"Commander Mura, I—"

As I anticipated, what Lt. Jee saw was an angel sitting in my room. What he described to me later was that Shen Si Ling was translucently sitting 'inside' me; angel wings sprouted from my back, according to his testimony. As quick as he had seen it, the spirit disappeared, and so did my concentration. My bed fell to the floor with a _thud; _the candles clattered in front of me on their table (their small flames blew out); and both doors swung shut. Lt. Jee opened the door to my bedroom slowly, mildly shocked.

"Commander," he said, stunned, "Prince Zuko has come up from the galley."

"Why are you telling _me_ this?"

"He insists that you come on deck with him and General Iroh, as customary."

"There's nothing in our customs about synchronizing our schedules," I muttered irritably.

Lt. Jee didn't know what to say; he simply guided me out of the door.

When I came up to the main deck, Iroh was observing the horizon. Zuko was surveying the skies with a telescope. Lt. Jee remained below deck to tend to the crew.

Iroh sniffed the air in contemplation.

"There is a storm coming, Prince Zuko. A big one," he said.

Zuko lowered his telescope incredulously,

"You're out of your mind, Uncle. The weather's perfect. There is not a cloud in sight!"

"The storm is approaching from the north," said Iroh. "I suggest we alter our course and head southwest."

"We know the Avatar is traveling northward, so we will do the same."

"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew."

"The safety of the crew doesn't matter!"

As he said it, Lt. Jee had appeared beside me, who clearly overheard Zuko's remark; his facial expression twisted unhappily. Zuko turned to see him, and he spoke purposefully; he walked up to him until his face was right in front of the Lieutenant's.

"Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety."

Zuko glanced at me swiftly before disappearing into the next room, closing the hatch behind him. Iroh came beside me and he turned to look uneasily at Lt. Jee, whose mouth downturned in steady aggravation.

"He doesn't mean that," said Iroh uncertainly. "He's just all worked up."

Iroh entered through the hatch to speak to his nephew. Lt. Jee turned to me.

"What did I tell you, Commander Mura? Was I not speaking the truth this morning?"

"Prince Zuko cares," I muttered. Even when I said it, I doubted my own words. "General Iroh is right. Zuko is just a bit worked up from tracking the Avatar's trail. We all are."

It wasn't an hour later that I took notice of the clouds forming north of our ship. They were the black edges of an ominous storm, and we were heading straight into it. General Iroh frowned at the sight before us. He set a hand on my shoulder. Apparently I couldn't betray my growing uneasiness about sailing into a thunderstorm; it wasn't for the lack of trying.

Lt. Jee noticed the rolling, Columbus clouds ahead as well, and so did Prince Zuko. Zuko walked on deck beside me with an evident, disapproving look on his face.

Iroh had been right after all.

Mentally, I begged for Lt. Jee to keep his mouth shut; however, the universe loved proving me wrong.

"Huh," said Lt. Jee, "Looks like your uncle was right about the storm after all."

Iroh stood in the background, overseeing an upcoming argument.

"Lucky guess," he said simply.

Zuko passed me irritably,

"Lieutenant, you'd better learn some respect"—he pointed at his chest with two fingers—"Or I'll teach it to you."

"That sounds familiar," I muttered quietly.

Zuko walked past the Lieutenant and came to my side; however, Lt. Jee could no longer contain his contempt for the prince. As he started to speak, I saw Iroh making decapitation motions with his hand, trying to head off the conflict before it could be too late.

"What do you know about respect?" said Lt. Jee harshly. "The way you talk to everyone around here from your hard-working crew, to your kind commander, to your esteemed uncle shows that you know nothing about respect. You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a _spoiled prince?_"

Iroh sighed, and he put his hands over his face, resigning himself to the brewing disaster. Zuko's eyebrow twitched, stung by the accusations. He turned and assumed the Firebending stance; the Lieutenant followed suit.

Iroh held up his hands in a gesture for calm,

"Easy now."

Zuko and Lt. Jee crossed hands at the wrists, which indicated that the ritual of combat had begun. There was a sound on steel on steel, and smoke furled from where their arms met. Iroh strode in between them and broke their wrists apart in neat movement.

"Enough! We are all a bit tired from being at sea so long. I'm sure after a bowl of noodles, everyone will feel much better."

Prince Zuko and Lt. Jee glared at each other a moment longer then they both turned and walked in the opposite direction.

"I don't need help keeping order on my ship," said Zuko.

Iroh placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, but he rudely shoved him off.

Zuko pushed pass me wordlessly, where I knew that he was heading to his quarters. I sighed inwardly, feeling pity and irritation wash over me as it was the usual feelings that I felt when Zuko was agitated. The storm clouds came to us in evident challenge.

"He knows that you understand him," said Iroh softly, as he, too, looked sad. "But he doesn't understand you."

"He doesn't want to hear anything that I have to say."

"Then convince him to listen." Iroh said certainly.

"He won't."

"If he truly loves you, _truly_, he will," Iroh said. He placed a finger under my chin to make me meet him at eye level. "He believes that you hate the Fire Nation, but he doesn't understand the battle in yourself to do what is right and what is easy. Talk to him."

"He won't talk to me."

"How can you know that if you don't try?" said Iroh in a fatherly tone. "I think it's time for the crew to understand why Zuko is the way he is. I will tell them the same details that I told you. Now you need to be what Zuko needs now: somebody that he can talk to without judgment."

Iroh gave me a gentle push in the right direction.

I walked to Zuko's quarters, though I wasn't sure why exactly I was going to talk about or what I wanted to say. I just knew that Lt. Jee had hit a nerve when he argued with Zuko up on deck; and if it were me, I would feel extremely angry.

So I did what I thought would appease General Iroh; I entered Zuko's room as quietly as I could and I just the door behind me. Zuko was sitting in a chair in front of four lit candles like the other times I had found him. His hands were balled into fists on his desk, and he glowered at the wall in front of him.

"_Why are you here?_" he asked quietly.

"To talk to you," I said timidly. I felt alarmed at his tone of voice and even more so when he didn't look at me. "Prince Zuko, I understand your pain; I know why you're high-strung all the time. You don't have to keep it bottled in, though. You have an uncle who cares about you. _I_ care."

"How would you be qualified to tell me not to bottle anything in?" he said harshly, turning to look at me. "Why do you always defend Lt. Jee? Why are you defending everyone? They don't help you; they don't care about you. And you're always defending the Avatar too. Why aren't you on my side?"

"I _am_ on your side; but you're not seeing the whole picture—"

"I see what I need to see." Zuko said, rising to his feet.

Frightened, I leaned against the door to separate us. The candles were the only light in the room, and as Zuko stood in front of me, I felt fear flicker in my eyes for the first time as he approached me, a yellow and orange silhouette in the darkness of his quarters.

"Lt. Jee thinks I'm a spoiled prince; well, what does he think of you? You're a fugitive of the law and a coward for not showing my father what you're capable of! Why couldn't you do what you should have done? It's not that hard! You just throw a few things at Azula and your father and mother would have been spared! You simply _do_ things, Mura. It's not complicated." Zuko approached me. "You always come to me when I'm angry. Haven't you thought that perhaps I _want_ to be alone when I walk _away_ from you?"

I simply gazed at him, wondering why I decided to come to him in his lonely room; it certainly wasn't because I wanted to make him angry. Then I realized that my attempts to make him feel better only made the situation worse.

His words stung, and I didn't try to hide it.

"So," I said tenderly, "you _still_ think that I'm a fugitive…"

"You are what you are, nobody can change that. Not even you." Zuko said with a wave of his hand. "My father banished you, so you _are _a fugitive."

"I _wasn't _banished," I said, annoyed. "I _ran away_."

"Before you could face judgment, which makes you a traitor too," said Zuko.

"You know what, you don't give me the respect that I deserve," I said. "That much of what Lt. Jee said is true. You love me, you hate me. You say you respect what I am and what I do, then when it's like the world is against you, you call me a fugitive, a traitor, and you blame me for my own mistakes."

"It _is _your fault," said Zuko. "Just like my own banishment was mine as well."

"Zuko, your father challenged a twelve-year-old boy when he was only speaking for the good of the nation," I said strenuously. "You spoke out against Fire Lord Ozai's plan, and you were right about it. You were right about everything."

"That doesn't matter because I disrespected him," said Zuko. "And it's not right that you tried to rob my father."

"I did it to help my family through poverty—"

"You stole from my father, so you stole from me," said Zuko angrily.

I found myself approaching him, and my fears went out the window.

"You don't know _anything,_" I said, feeling tears fall from my eyes and down to my cheeks, "about me, Zuko! You don't know what your father has done! You don't know that he's a cruel monster because he doesn't know you! You are caught between good and bad, and you don't realize that you're fighting on the wrong side!"

"Stop crying," Zuko said, and his voice dropped an octave as he stared at me, surprised. "You're telling me things that I don't want to hear. My father will take me back, and he'll restore my honor once I catch the Avatar."

I shook my head sadly.

"You are a brilliant prince, Zuko," I said, wiping tears from my eyes, "but you can sometimes be a stupid boy."

I jerked the door open and slammed it on my way out.

When I was in my quarters, and I had poured my heart out onto a tear-stained pillow, I heard my door open slowly, and it closed on someone's way in. I was lying on my side, gazing at the wall. A shift of weight on my mattress pulled me slightly. And in the middle of the silent atmosphere, the calm voice of Prince Zuko asked me in the dim lit room,

"I'm…sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry." I said. My voice cracked, and I scorned myself for showing vulnerability. "I understand what's going on with you. I understand that the only way for your life to return to normality is capturing the Avatar…"

"I'm not sorry about what I said," he said clearly.

I turned to look at him.

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?" I asked dryly.

"I guess it's not." Zuko muttered. "I suppose Uncle Iroh told you what happened to me so that you would understand what's happening. I guess I haven't been really the best…_boyfriend_…to you. I think the reason why we fight is because I don't know exactly how we end up fighting."

"That doesn't make any sense," I mumbled. I turned to look back at the wall; he grabbed my arm to turn me back.

"No, it kind of does. I don't know why we fight because I don't know why you argue with me." A pause. "That came out wrong too. I guess I'm not used to apologizing."

"Mess up a few more times," I said lightly. "You'll get the hang of it."

"Well, I just want to know what happened exactly." Zuko said calmly. "With you and all that stuff that happened that day. I've really only heard stories…"

I sat up.

"Fine." I said with a shrug.

So I told him about how my father was a bender and my mother was not. I told him about my dad was a cargo trader on a vessel who sailed from several parts of the world. I told him about how my mother was simply a humble house wife. I told him about my friendship with Azula, which was a good one for the most part. I told him about my friendships with Ty Lee and Mai, which were also good. I told him about my first instincts about the Fire Nation, about how I thought we were fighting a lost cause: not because we were a failing country, but because the other nations didn't seem to like us. I told him about how my powers were well-liked by my parents, and how Azula liked them too.

Then I told him about how Fire Lord Ozai learned about my special powers, and he told my father that if I was this so-called powerful 'witch', I could throw Azula off a flight of stairs. If I could do it, my powers would be realized, and my family would be an important, wholly respected family like Mai's. If I didn't do what the Fire Lord wanted, my refusal would be penalized, and my father would spent his life in jail for false reports.

I told Prince Zuko how I couldn't even use my powers if I really wanted to because I thought my friendship with Azula was blossoming and everlasting; and how, afterwards, Azula Firebended at me and burned my arms and legs. I told him that I saw the Fire Nations soldiers take away my father, and that I was told that he would come back at a more convenient time. That's when Zuko took me on a tour of his home.

I told Prince Zuko that when he led me pass the treasury, I took things that weren't considered family heirlooms—gold coins, simple jewelry items—and ran as fast I could back home before I could be noticed. Azula had told Fire Lord Ozai what I done and only a few minutes later did the soldiers come to my house. I had given my mom the gold and ran for it, heading off to the docks. Before I left, the soldiers confiscated the gold, and my mother—with no source of income—would live out her life with no husband, childless, and in poverty.

And I told Prince Zuko that I had journeyed to the Earth Kingdom, but apparently, my powers were considered to be evil in Ba Sing Se, and I was chased out of the city by refugees and Earthbenders. I told him that I had to swim miles, miles, and miles away. I had passed out, and floated to shore. That's when I discovered that I had arrived on the outskirts of an air temple. And then my story became updated when Zuko's fleet had come.

And the reason why I had attacked them, I had said, was because I thought Fire Lord Ozai had sent his son and brother after me.

After I told Prince Zuko all of this, he and I sat in silence that seemed to last for several minutes.

"So," he said summarily, "You really hate my father, don't you?"

I nodded wordlessly.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I did." I retorted. "But you still thought that I stole from you father out of spite. I _loved_ my home, Zuko. I loved _your_ home. And the Fire Nation would be a grand nation if they just didn't…"

"Didn't what?" insisted Zuko, for my voice trailed off.

"If they didn't…hate so much…" I said in a low voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Zuko," I said gently, "surely you must see that the world doesn't _want_ expansion. Water Tribes want Waterbenders; the Earth Kingdom wants Earthbenders."

"But they need expansion; they have to open their eyes," said Zuko. "They need to know that there is more out there than just fancy splashes. If they knew that, the Earth Kingdom wouldn't have attacked you. Don't you think that they need to be put in their place?"

"They would have attacked me _anyway_," I said softly. "If you haven't seen me yet, you know that I don't actually fit the 'Fire Nation look'. I mean, really, Zuko, have you ever seen anybody with blonde hair? _Ever?_"

He looked at my hair momentarily.

"Well, no, but I don't see why that should change how people treat you."

"You wouldn't think it would matter." I muttered, "But it does."

Just as I finished speaking, the entire ship jolted in the middle of the ocean; Zuko and I fell forward slightly.

It looked like the storm had reached full impact.

Zuko and I looked at each other knowingly, and we flung away our story telling for a better time. We scampered up the stairs to the main deck, where we were greeted by angry claps of thunder, hard rain, tossing waves, and a sky full of furious, gray clouds. Lightning zapped across the sky.

Lt. Jee and his crew members, along with General Iroh, Zuko, and I struggled to stay upright as the ship battled the waves. Another zap of lightning fell from the sky, and it targeted the helm with ultimate force.

"Where were we hit?" cried Zuko.

"I don't know!" Lt. Jee replied.

"Look!" Iroh called in the middle of the giant fuss.

Up to the bridge tower, the crewman hung off some of the rigging that had been torn away from the bolt of lightning.

"The helmsman!" Zuko called out in alarm.

Zuko climbed up the external ladder up to the bridge area; Lt. Jee followed close behind him. Iroh grabbed my hand and pulled me behind his back to shield me from something that I wasn't anticipating—a lightning strike flared toward us; Iroh connected the bolt to his fingertips, and was bent through his body, away from me and away from the men trying to rescue the helmsman; it shot out of Iroh's other hand and struck the open water. I looked back Iroh.

"General," I said, smiling in the pouring rain, "you cease to amaze me!"

He coughed smoke and grinned.

The helmsman cried out in alarm, and his hand slipped from the rigging; he fell only for a moment; Zuko grabbed him out of the air and pulled him back to the ladder. Lt. Jee took hold of the crewman, and smiled appreciatively at Zuko, who wordlessly returned a small smile.

Another thrash of lightning scoured the bridge toward up in the rigging, and it zapped the better part of it, slashing the entire establishment. Zuko and the Lieutenant cried out in fear.

However, I wasn't too tired to do my share of the rescuing. The loose tower fell only for a few seconds; and it halted right before it landed on my officers. Although it hurt like a bleeding porcupine, I managed to levitate the entire rig and place it back on its upright position. Lt. Jee walked up to me and shook my hand frivolously.

"I am so glad Prince Zuko added you to the team," he said with a wide grin.

As he said it, a flying bison flew overhead.

"The Avatar!" Zuko cried out in dismay.

Lt. Jee reported instantly to him,

"What do you want to do, sir?"

Zuko paused to consider his options, and ultimately he said,

"Let him go. We need to get this ship to safety."

Iroh sighed with relief.

"Then," he said, "We must head directly into the eye of the storm."

"Oh," I breathed tiredly, "that's sounds _awesome_."

The wind died down, and it merely drizzled. Zuko lowered his head as his uncle appeared behind him.

"Uncle," he said quietly. "I'm sorry…"

Iroh beamed and set a hand on his nephew's shoulder,

"Your apology is accepted."

I slugged his shoulder affectionately.

"There's not a boring moment with you." Then I added, "You idiot."

He smiled slightly.

Iroh looked at me for a moment.

"What?" I said curiously.

"Have you…Have you always been a blonde?"

Zuko and I exchanged a look of admiration for Iroh's randomness.

"Yes," I said, laughing slightly. "I have."


	26. A Generous Gift

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty Six: A Generous Gift

The storm had given Prince Zuko and I further insight to the other's…_concerns?_ I'm not sure exactly _what_ happened during the storm, but apparently, it drew Zuko closer to me. I suppose it was the fact that I divulged to him the entirety of my life from the moment my father had been commended to the point where I actually did steal from his dad. My actions were as parted as my judgment: it was a wrong path that was wrought with good intentions, and although I had hoped to give my mom a piece of sanity, my wrongs turned out to steer her into poverty. However, despite my efforts that day, Prince Zuko knew all about what happened—at least, from my side anyway. I didn't ask him to tell me what happened during the Agni Kai with Fire Lord Ozai. Even though Iroh gave me the short story, I could only imagine the details.

The storm had also brought the whole crew to a more understanding lining; Lt. Jee and Prince Zuko were still prince and ranked officer, but they didn't fight as much as they did before. The crew had learned of what happened to Zuko, and it seemed that they felt a more 'will' to help him. They didn't think that he was some spoiled palace brat who was on a vanity project; he needed the Avatar to be able to return home. And, apparently, when Iroh told the crew what happened to Zuko, he had told them my story as well. Lt. Jee, especially, behaved more…well…I wouldn't say _caring_, but I know that it's quite odd for a Lieutenant to address a superior officer by her first name and pat her on the shoulder for simple sake. Even if it was inappropriate during formal ranking, I thought it was sweet.

The crew—and Zuko—simply understood that although I was a fugitive in the eyes of the Fire Lord, I was a helpful Commander aboard Prince Zuko's ship. My loyalty, despite what it may have looked like, was to Prince Zuko; and as long as it seemed that way, General Iroh and Prince Zuko wouldn't let other Firebenders harm me.

Zhao might have realized this after speaking to me for the first time since I saw him when I left the Fire Nation. I only say this because why would any middle-aged man take sudden interest in a sixteen-year-old girl if he didn't plan on using her against the Fire Lord's son in a chance that he (Zhao) might catch the Avatar? I'm just saying: it's seems a bit odd that he would chase me four years, and he suddenly _learns_ that I'm working under Prince Zuko, that _suddenly_ he wants me on his team. I mean, what would you assume?

Well, during the storm, we had to get the ship to safety, so under Prince Zuko's orders; Lt. Jee took the helm and pulled the Navy ship to a nearby shore. The helmsman that had fallen during the storm had to seek minor medical care for a few burns from the lightning strike, and he had pulled some muscles. The crew collected supplies from the land, though General Iroh eventually had to come ashore in order to separate the poison plants from the medicinal ones. By the time we were back on the water, we had lost the Avatar's trail.

Prince Zuko and Lt. Jee were observing the world map: Zuko looked over the lieutenant's shoulder. General Iroh challenged three other crewmen to a game of Pai Sho. Although the men were poor game players, Iroh was a graceful winner; he mainly played for the sport of competition, and he took interest in the men. They seriously were improving, but General Iroh was quite intelligent (and he still is) at these sort of activities, and the men were losing…dramatically.

I busied myself at Iroh's side, and—a bit out of boredom—I pulled my hair up into a pin. Iroh absent-mindedly handed me a cup of tea and smiled broadly before turning to his opponents.

"We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the storm," reported Lt. Jee. "Right now, we're currently at the northwest extremity of the Earth Kingdom and near the eastern most extremity of the northern air nomad lands."

I volunteered my in-put wistfully,

"The Avatar's headed for the North Pole."

"Yes," said Lt. Jee, "but he can't make the trip in a day. He has to settle some time."

"You'd be surprised how much ground a flying bison can cover," I said, rising to my feet, holding the cup of tea in my hand. "The Avatar's a bit too young to understand the geography of the world because he's been gone for a hundred years, but that Water Tribe boy seems to be a beginning warrior. If he isn't, his sister seems to know a few things."

"The girl?" said Lt. Jee. "She's a peasant."

"She's a Waterbender," I emphasized, "and _she_ needs a master too. Don't neglect the other nations so quickly, Lieutenant. The Waterbenders are as powerful as the rest of us; you'd be surprised what they can do, especially during the full moon."

"Commander Mura is right," agreed Iroh from behind me. "Every nation has strength and weakness."

Lt. Jee turned away from Iroh and stepped toward me. He smiled,

"So what's your weakness?"

I indicated my head and said coolly,

"Migraines." I shrugged.

Lt. Jee smirked and returned to the map.

"But," he said to Zuko, "If we continue heading northeast—"

An enormous shadow blocked the light that shined in through the windows of our ship. The Lieutenant cut himself off as he and Zuko, the crewman, Iroh, and I turned to look out the window of the chamber to see a Fire Navy ship—a massive hulking thing—pass us to starboard in the opposite direction. Everyone stared at it. I strode away from the door to stand beside Prince Zuko to glance out and up onto the main deck of the visitor.

I frowned, displeased.

"Looks like our neighborhood commander is gracing us with his presence…" I muttered.

"What do they want?" said Zuko.

Iroh rubbed his hands together hopefully,

"Perhaps a sporting game of Pai Sho!"

Zuko frowned,

"Knowing Zhao, it may not be so sporting."

Zuko's ship rested alongside the much larger, double-smoke stack Fire Nation vessel. Through the doors, three Fire Nation soldiers that didn't belong to our crew entered. The two that came in last wore face helmets; the one who didn't was a herald, who held out the wanted poster of the innocent drawing of Avatar Aang.

"Well," I said, striding toward them, "my compliments to your sketch artist."

The herald frowned at me slightly.

"I wonder if he could give me a caricature of me riding a flying bison."

The Herald spoke as if I hadn't said anything,

"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance. All information regarding the Avatar must be reported directly to Admiral Zhao."

Iroh made a move on the Pai Sho board, providing a congratulatory tone,

"Zhao has been promoted? Well, good for him!"

Iroh's opponent looked chagrined at the move, and he slapped his face. Iroh smiled sweetly. Zuko folded his arms across his chest.

"I've got nothing to report to Zhao." Zuko said sullenly. "Now get off my ship and let us pass."

"Admiral Zhao isn't letting any ships in or out of this area."

Zuko swung a hand in the air with a swift temper,

"_Off my ship!"_ he said angrily.

I stepped in front of Zuko and held a hand,

"I'll take that poster."

The Herald placed it in my hand; and his two guards turned on their heels and left the chamber without another word. As they left, Iroh smiled.

"Excellent!" he leaned forward and gathered all the chips on the table. "I take the pot! But you're all improving. I'm certain you will win if we…play again."

Zuko looked out over the waves as Iroh and the men began another game, resetting the board. I observed the wanted poster of Avatar Aang.

"Seriously, who draws these?" I said playfully. "This is very good."

Zhao's ship sailed away from us, and despite whether or not he was going to allow Zuko's ship to come into the harbor, it wouldn't have mattered. We were the only boat on the water. I sat up on the main deck with Red to keep me company. Zuko had come up to the deck with me. He was exasperated, and he practiced Firebending on the foredeck in front of me. I watched him for an hour.

I didn't have to ask Zuko if he was irritated. I could tell it on his face by now; and I understood. My pet messenger hawk tooted impatiently on the table in front of me. He was growing weary of being on the same territory. I looked at him with some compassion, stroked his feathery wing with a finger and asked him,

"Why don't you go hunting for a while? Go on."

He tooted cheerfully and took flight off my arm.

I was simply there to keep Zuko as company. Even when we didn't speak, it was like it was a comfortable silence.

I think that even then, when I was with him on his ship, Zuko knew that I was only there to support him during his quest. Even now, as I write, I consider him to be a very good friend; and, dare I say it, he was a very kind boyfriend. However, sometimes, I couldn't have both. That's why he is married to Mai, but, as I usually do, I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

Iroh appeared on deck, his arms folded in the robes of his sleeves. In the gloomy skies and the sultry, gray clouds, I considered that the weather matched Zuko's feelings perfectly.

"Is everything okay?" asked Iroh. "It's been almost an hour, and you haven't given the men an order."

"I don't care what they do."

"Don't give up hope yet. You can still find the Avatar before Zhao."

Zuko's eyes showed desperation and fear, things that I wasn't used to seeing. I felt at a loss for him. There are things in life that I had no control over; and this was one of them.

Zuko turned away to look out at the miserable sea.

"How, Uncle? How am I supposed to catch him? With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar. My honor, my throne, my country…I'm about to lose them all."

I rose to my feet.

"Prince Zuko, you have something that Admiral Zhao does not. You have patience," I encouraged. "Zhao is a ruthless man; he has no self-control. You've seen him during your duel."

Zuko looked over his shoulder at me.

"You outwitted him before, Zuko," I said, smiling. "You can do it again."

"That was a match," said Zuko. "My honor didn't hinge on beating Zhao."

"And look how easily you brought him down," I retorted. "And I think you're underestimating the Avatar again."

"Why do you say that?" said Zuko hopelessly.

"You've seen the Avatar," I said, pulling out the wanted poster. "Does this kid look like the master of all elements? Zhao is a man of raw power. He even _sounds_ like he's arrogant. He thinks he's better than everyone in the Fire Nation, of the whole world: but clearly, he's not. You proved him wrong once. And the Avatar will prove him wrong about this too."

"What makes you so confident about that?" asked Zuko, turning to face me entirely.

"Zuko, you don't see what _I _see. Admiral Zhao sees an innocent Airbender," I said patiently, nudging a finger into the parchment. "But you've seen how clever the Avatar is. He's quick on his feet; he _knows_ about Zhao. He wouldn't let a man like Zhao take him captive."

"How could you possibly _know_ that?" said Zuko. I could tell that I was getting to him; though I wasn't exactly inspiring his self-esteem.

"I study people," I said simply. "And I've talked to the Water Tribe girl. And, uh, oh, I've _seen_ the Avatar do some crazy stuff. He doesn't think with muscle like Zhao. He thinks with his _noggin. _And if you would just _think_ things through, "I said with a smile, approaching him, "you could escape Zhao's traps too."

Zuko still held a melancholy look. I sighed. So I wrapped my arms around his neck and embraced him. He was surprised, but he didn't let go.

"Maybe if you don't think like a Firebender, you can find a way of setting the Avatar free from Zhao's clutches." I whispered. I kissed him shortly on the lips and left to sit back at the table.

Zuko sighed, dejected, and turned to look out on the sea.

A few miles away, there was Zhao's fortress; it was a checkpoint from the Earth Kingdom to the Northern Air Temple. This was how the Fire Nation kept tabs on the people of the entire world. Privacy apparently didn't mean anything back then. Anyway, the fortress was only that much of a distance from us. Since Zhao wasn't letting anyone in or out of the area—until he had the Avatar—it was sort of…_crucial…_for us to stay under the admiral's radar.

Lt. Jee pulled the ship ashore.

"This sucks."

Zuko sat in his quarters. He looked at me with most ill-tempered expression that I had ever seen cross his handsome features. For a moment, I thought he was going to hiss at me; but that was all he said while I stood beside his bed.

"Honestly, Prince Zuko," I began gently, "if you had any sort of fun in you, you would come to at least _one_ music night. Your uncle said that it's fun."

"No."

"You must _hate_ fun," I teased.

He looked at me sourly.

"Oh, lighten up, Zuko," I said with a smile. "It could be worse. Zhao could have the Avatar right—"

As quick as lightning, Zuko zipped across the length of his bed and shoved a hand over my mouth. His neat movement startled me, and I was I caught off balance, knocked off my feet, and landed on his mattress. He kept his hand over my mouth, and shushed me with a finger on his lips.

"What are you trying to do, Mura? _Jinx it?_"

I mumbled my retort.

He took his hand off my face.

"What?"

"I said, 'At least I got you to uncross your arms'."

He frowned.

"Is everything a joke to you?"

"Not everything," I said, sitting up. "But not every day has to consist of you being grumpy. I know that you really want to find the Avatar, but not even _he_ is always working. You know how I know _that_?"

"No. How?" he said with an obvious tone of disinterest.

I said it anyway,

"Because the Avatar really had no reason to spend so much time on Kyoshi Island. Obviously, he was there for his fan girls. No pun intended; but he doesn't have a set schedule, evidently. There was no teacher for him on the island, and it must have been taken a few days for us to get to the island. So he's not in a big rush."

"Well, I _am._"

"No kidding." I slid off the bed. "Well, I suppose that I'll be going to your uncle's music night. It really _is_ fun, Zuko. If you try not to have fun all the time, you might find yourself having some on accident."

He gave me a look.

"Well, sleep well, sir," I said.

I blew him a kiss and walked out of the room.

Not an hour later, my messenger hawk returned, but he didn't come empty-handed. Iroh, Lt. Jee, and the rest of the musicians stopped playing their instruments as Red perched on my arm. He carried a package in his feet, and a letter was encased in the tube that strapped on his back.

"Where exactly did you send him?" asked Iroh curiously.

"I told him to go hunting; I don't know where he went," I replied, just as stunned as the rest of them. I relieved Red of his burden and pulled the letter out of his cap. Red flew off my arm to perch comfortably on Iroh's shoulder. The package that came with Red was rather long and slender. The letter was rather short, written in a slanted writing, all caps.

I read it swiftly and frowned, and turned to Iroh.

"It's from Admiral Zhao." I told him.

"Oh?" said Iroh, who sounded intrigued.

"Mhm."

As I spoke, Zuko emerged from the chambers and saw me with the letter and the package. I glanced at him in slight dismay. Iroh reported to his nephew about the courier, though it didn't take much to incense Zuko. He crossed the deck to approach me.

"What's this about?" said Zuko, already annoyed.

"Admiral Zhao sends his apologies for interrupting your quest for the Avatar," I said summarily, handing Zuko the letter. "He also informs you that the package that he has sent with my messenger bird is related to, I quote 'your newfound friend's abilities', and he would like to tell you that your quest for the Avatar is at a sudden stop."

Zuko, Iroh, and the crew stared at me in shock.

"_What?_" Zuko's voice was dangerously low.

I nodded sadly.

"He and his newly appointed band of archers captured the Avatar. He was not too far from his fortress; he was by the frog swamp, a few feet from the herbalist. You know, the woman who heals Fire Nation troops passing through the—"

"Agh!" Zuko growled, "_I know where it is!"_

He swiped the letter from my hand furiously and ripped it to shreds.

I glanced at Iroh for some moral support, but he offered none.

Zuko indicated the package.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure," I said awkwardly, feeling uneasy. "Quite frankly, I don't really want anything that comes from his fortress, especially from him."

"Well, open it."

I sighed unhappily.

"And what if it's a bomb?" I muttered.

"So it's just gonna sit there?" Zuko said irritably.

Despite my hesitation to open a parcel from a total stranger that I didn't trust, I reluctantly approached the long package. I didn't touch it, for I feared that my touch would activate it, if it _was _a bomb. I used my mind to tear the brown paper that was wrapped tightly around my present.

To my slight surprise, I saw that it was not exactly what I had in mind. It had been in the shape of a sword, but as I looked at it with some surprise, the object was actually a bunch of things pulled together.

"What…is _that?"_ said Zuko, a bit taken aback.

From underneath the slick pieces of rather slippery goo, another letter was attached.

I snatched the letter.

I chuckled distastefully and the rest of Zhao's letter,

"'_P.S. Commander Mura, these objects are meteorite bear balls. Because you are now a Fire Nation soldier, I think it should be appropriate that you should have a field advantage if ever Prince Zuko decides to betray you like he has done to his nation. Try them out. If you are as clever as the Fire Nation Prince and General Iroh say you are, you've no need for further instruction on how to use your new toys.'"_

I turned to Zuko, who apparently lost interest in the note and had retreated back to his chamber in a foul mood. I was pretty sure that he had left when Zhao mentioned that he was a traitor to his fatherland.

I have to admit to the jury that as much as I loathed the late Admiral Zhao, I have to say this letter was quite flattering. If anything, this proved that he did realize how powerful I was, though I was certain—at that point in time—that he had given me something that he could use against me if I tried to fight him. Now I can freely tell you this: No, it wasn't a trick on his behalf. It was, I realized, a very gracious gift.

I looked at the note in still surprise.

The meteorite bear balls were not in the shape of balls at all. They were slices of what looked like shards of glass, but when I touched them to take the note; they were as gooey as vulture bee honey. I simply assumed that Zhao meant my mind abilities.

In a short while, I realized that the meteorite was actually a substance that could bend to my mind at will; it wasn't earth, which was hard to combust or manipulate. And it wasn't like water, which was harder to bend than earth. I could shift the meteorite goo into any shapes that I wanted, and when I exploded them, the pieces blew apart, but they reconnected when I ordered them to do so.

"That's quite a generous gift," said Iroh; his tone expressed some surprise.

"It is," I muttered. I shifted the goo to become sort of like a waistband and attached it to my armor like it was a belt. "But now I'm wondering if he gave it to me because he truly thinks that Zuko will betray me, or does he think that I'll join him."

Iroh shrugged.

"Think of it as another promotional gift," said Iroh. "Did you want to join us for music night?"

I nodded happily.

Lt. Jee took the banjo and started the harmony beautifully; his fingers were nimble against the strings, and he didn't miss the beat. Iroh blew through the Tsungi horn. A fellow crewman, the helmsman who hadn't injured himself during the storm, took my hand, and he danced with me on the deck of the ship.

I started off the chorus,

"Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Four seasons, four loves.

Four seasons, four loves."

The helmsman twirled me on the spot, and he started on the verse,

"We dance to falling snow,

To the leaves that start to grow.

We dance to the heat,

And the falling, red leaves."

The helmsman and Lt. Jee switched spots, and Lt. Jee danced with me while I sung the chorus,

"Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Four seasons, four loves.

Four seasons, four loves."

Yes. Music night was exhilarating, and the crew had wonderful singing voices. However, I felt a bit…_guilty…_for accepting Zhao's present; and I wasn't sure how Zuko took my acceptance. I knew he was the jealous type, and I thought for sure that he knew that I didn't _like_ Zhao…in any way…whatsoever. But I supposed that any type of flattery was like flirting. So I excused myself from the crew and went to Zuko's quarters. He was standing in front of the display on the wall of his antique broad swords, a dual set.


	27. A Brilliant Feat

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Brilliant Feat

For those who know what happened the night that the Avatar was freed from Zhao's fortress, you know what's coming up. For those who don't, well, you'll know now. If you haven't figured out the comparison to the Blue Spirit's talent with broadswords and Zuko's skill with them as well, then I guess I'll just tell you:

Yes, Prince Zuko was the Blue Spirit. And right now, Admiral Zhao is probably rolling around in his watery grave.

When I found Prince Zuko looking at the display broadswords, I thought he was lost in thought. I wasn't too far from this assumption.

"Are you all right?" I asked gently, closing the door behind me.

"No."

"Yeah, that was a stupid question." I said, scratching the back of my head.

"If Zhao has the Avatar, that means he's locked up in the prison tower."

"Walking into the fortress, guarded by Fire Nation soldiers, who work for Zhao, seems a bit risky, don't you think?" I said from behind him, folding my arms. "You're pretty much in deep. Do you think it's wise to be poking your nose where it doesn't belong?"

"I have to free the Avatar. It's the only way I'll win…" Zuko muttered. He turned to look at me defiantly. "Don't try to stop me."

I smiled. He looked a bit puzzled.

"I'm not going to stop you," I said. "But when you do things like this that are a bit—rash—you sort of get yourself into a lot of trouble."

He took a mask from the mantle and showed it to me.

"The moment you show your face—any face—in the fortress, you're dead," I said cautiously, taking the mask from him. "Though," I added, "this would forestall me at any rate. It's kind of frightening."

"Yeah, but in order to get close to the fortress, I need a reason to get in."

I nodded. He looked at me meaningfully.

"I need a favor from you."

"A favor?" I said skeptically. "What kind of favor?"

"I want you to thank Zhao for his gift…which you obviously have put to use as to keeping your pants up," he said awkwardly, pointing to my new belt.

I stared at him incredulously.

"You _want_ me to talk to Admiral Zhao?"

"Just this once," said Zuko. He approached me with the mask in his hands. "Distract his attention from me when I free the Avatar. After the two of us are clear from the fortress, you can come back with me."

"What if you don't come out at all, Zuko? What will I do then?" I asked sadly.

"Leave me behind," said Zuko seriously.

"This is absolutely mad," I muttered, shaking my head.

I paused to consider.

"But," I said loudly, "I do like it when you're the bad guy."

He kissed me briefly, which took me off guard.

"Thank you."

He collected his broadswords from the mantle.

"What?" I said with widened eyes. "You're doing this _now?_"

"Yes." Zuko said.

He pulled on a black suit and collected his swords on holsters that were strapped around his back. He pulled on black gloves and collected his mask in his hands.

"Don't I have time to pretty up?" I asked.

He gave me a look.

I smiled widely.

"I'm just teasing. Come on."

We snuck out the back hatch of the ship to avoid being seen by Iroh and his band of musicians. As we left the crew behind, I walked in the middle of the road by myself. I could hear Zuko in the forage that flanked either side of me. From the glimpses through the bushes, I saw his blue mask. I had to remind myself several times that it was still Zuko and not some stranger. He was quiet, which gave me reason that he was either no longer with me or he was just standing in the shadows to watch me. I walked only a few more minutes in the silence before I sensed an oncoming carriage. I stepped to the side.

The carriage was Fire Nation. Once they saw me, they halted their Komodo Rhino that led the cargo. The stage coach turned to me with a gentle smile. From behind me, I felt Zuko's hand brush my back. A flash of blue swept from under my feet, and I saw Zuko latch to the underside of the carriage. The stage coach glanced around.

"Commander, are you journeying on your own?" he asked, identifying my uniform.

"Of course," I said easily. "It's a beautiful night, and your admiral sent me a package. I actually am on my way to thank him for it."

By the way he spoke to me; I guessed that he was either a recruit who was assigned to the fortress or somebody who was a rank above him. He treated me like a high-ranked officer, but his tone was more associated to how an officer would speak to a well-respected citizen.

"Well," said the soldier, "I am transporting cargo from the Earth Kingdom to Admiral Zhao's galley. I would be honored to give you a lift. It's much too dangerous to be a high-ranked officer walking around by yourself."

"I'm certain that I could hold my own against a few thieves," I said nonchalantly.

"Of course, of course, but I would be a terrible private not to offer my services."

"Well," I sighed with a smile, "why not. Let me just check under your carriage to make sure that there aren't any thieves hiding under there. It actually happens a lot."

I bent down on one knee. Zuko's mask startled me. The stage coach looked down at me in alarm,

"Commander, do you see someone? Shall I get rid of him for you?"

"No," I said quickly. "I thought I saw…a wolf spider."

I turned to look at Zuko.

"He's giving me a ride to the fortress," I whispered delicately. "Once we're close, you can sneak in. I'll drive their attention away from you when they check the carriage."

"_Get in before he suspects,"_ Zuko's voice hissed.

I nodded and mounted the seat beside the stage coach.

He looked at me momentarily.

"If you take a picture," I said with a slight smile, "it'll last longer."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. It's just that…you look like you're too young to be a Commander."

"I get that a lot," I said. "You're a private?"

"Yeah…I mean, _yes."_

"Ease up," I said lazily, leaning back against the carriage. "I'm not one of _those_ kinds of commanders."

His eyes lingered longer.

"Hey, I know you," he said, suddenly excited. "You're Mura—Commander Mura. Prince Zuko's right hand…"

"Yep," I said simply.

"Well, I've heard some of the stuff that you can do. Admiral Zhao says that you could be very useful during war."

"I bet he does…" I muttered, unable to hide my disdain. "I bet he does."

The private actually had quite a few things that I had done. In fact, he seemed to be as updated as this story. Admiral Zhao apparently can't keep everything to himself. By the time we arrived at the magnificent, and quite impregnable, fortress, I had heard everything about myself. Admiral Zhao didn't just think that I was some pretty bimbo after all. According to the private, he seemed to call me a witch and a goddess at the same time. The only thing that made me one of his semi-enemies was actually my devotion to Prince Zuko. That's sort of the reason why the Fire Nation didn't like me either.

The guards came around the carriage. They inspected the inside, where the cargo was being held. They walked around it a few times. As one started to check the underside, I said quite loudly, with a forced irascible tone,

"_Are you nearly finished yet?_"

The guard had bent down to look under the wagon, but he stopped to look up at me, straightening.

"Ma'am?"

"You have walked around this wagon six times. I should know; _I counted._"

"Commander, we're following procedure."

I jumped off the seat and looked at the soldier in the eye.

"I'm a telekinetic, guard. I can sense when somebody is around me. Don't you think that I would have known that someone was stowing away on the carriage when this nice, young fellow offered me a ride?"

"Ma'am, we're only doing what we were ordered to do…"

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"No…No…"

"Then get away from the wagon," I said, "and let us pass."

The guards gave each other uneasy looks.

As they stood back, the guard that I had been bullying ordered that the stage coach had permission to enter through the three gates.

"Don't _ever_ make me repeat myself, Captain. Do you understand?"

He didn't answer.

I got in his face,

"_I said, 'Do you understand?'"_

"Yes, Ma'am, Commander Mura…"

"_Good._"

I boarded the coach again. I managed to suppress my laughter as we rode in smoothly. I glanced behind me to see that the Blue Spirit had made his way up a tower during my improvisation. I turned to the private with a wide smile.

"When you get promoted, you'll be able to talk to those guards like I did."

"Why would I do that?" asked the private curiously.

"Because you can," I said simply.

As he let the Komodo Rhino through the last gate, a captain was there to greet us. He looked at me with an obvious, unexpected look on his face.

"I'm here to see Admiral Zhao," I reported.

"Oh, I didn't know that he was expecting visitors."

"He isn't," I said wistfully. "But since he's captured the Avatar, I don't think it'll be a big problem, will it?"

"Oh, no. Of course not. I'll tell him at once. Shall I give you an escort?"

"It's a huge fortress, Captain. I don't think an escort is really necessary."

"As you wish."

I traveled through the fortress, corridor after corridor. As I turned, I stepped directly into someone's way, and bumped right into him.

"Oh!" I said, startled. "My bad…"

"Oh," drawled the deep, familiar voice, "it's actually not too bad."

I looked up to see Zhao.

"Oh!" I said, more surprised.

"Commander Mura, I didn't expect to see you here…at all," his tone dropped suspiciously as he looked around for any more companions. "Is your _boyfriend_ here with you? After all, if we find Prince Zuko on Fire Nation territory, it's a bit illegal for him to enjoy his stay."

"He's not here," I said strongly.

"Really? If he's not here, why are you?"

"Well, that's why I came here."

_Turn on the charm, Mura._

I slunk to his side and grabbed his arm. His expressions went from factual to being stunned at my sudden likable disposition. I didn't expect him to trust my infatuated display; however, men were men. He looked at me with some type of misplaced trust.

"_Why_ did you come here, exactly?" he asked.

"I received your gift." I said sweetly.

"Oh?"

"Mhm."

The belt around my waist snaked down my legs and hovered in the air in front of Zhao, whose eyes left my face to look upon my bear balls with a small smile. He was impressed evidently as the meteorite bear balls twisted in the air on my command. They took the shapes of various weapons: sword, axe, mace, chain, nun chunk, and spear. I detached myself from Zhao's arm and held out my hand for the goo to lie in my palm. The goo separated and formed seven solid, black metal balls.

"Well," he said with a wider smile, "that's excellent work. And Prince Zuko didn't object to your coming here?" He gestured for us to walk, so I followed him in the corridor. "You two seemed as thick as thieves the last time I saw you."

"He's a bit of an angry jerk sometimes," I said casually. "I was going to write a thank you note to you and send Red on his way, but he came back. He was tired. So I thought I'd just stop by and thank you in person."

"Hmm. Seems to me like you left without telling your crew where you were going."

"Do you think Zuko would have liked me to tell him that I liked your gift? You need to think a little harder, Admiral."

He gave me a weird smirk.

"You're not at all like I thought you were." Zhao said, hands on hips. We stopped walking.

"Oh, yeah? And what exactly am I like?"

"You've got a smart mouth," he said, nipping the underside of my chin with a finger. "And you've got a temper. But you're really not as stupid as you appear to me."

"_Stupid?"_

"Well, maybe not stupid. More…_aggressive._" Zhao said with a lightly flick of his wrist. "During my duel with Zuko, you seemed to be apt to attack me."

"Well, I don't much like being Firebended at," I retorted promptly.

"I can understand that. You don't like to be manhandled either," he noted, indicating the scars on my forehead. "So…how is Prince Zuko taking the news? About his failure to capture the Avatar? Must be absolute _heart-breaking."_

His lack of sincerity was slowly biting into my nerves that were resided for patience. However, I distilled restraint, and said with a mocking tone of disapproval,

"Well, you think he would simply _know_ that he wouldn't have caught the Avatar. I mean, the boy had evaded the Fire Nation for 100 years. Nobody could catch him."

Zhao set a hand on the nape of my neck and said with cruel purpose,

"_I did."_

I smiled forcibly,

"Yes, you did."

"Would you like to see it for yourself?"

"Oh, _boy._" I said, straining myself to sound excited.

"Come with me, my dear. I'll show you my greatest asset."

He guided me on another walk with a hand on the small of my back. He led me through a wide corridor, and we approached a door that was guarded by three soldiers. He gestured for them to move aside; as he opened the door to let me pass, I was troubled by what I saw.

The young boy that I had seen several times flying freely on a bison was chained by the arms and legs between two pillars. His face was downcast. The room was dark, save for the fire that burned on the stone pillars, shedding some light from their crests. The Avatar struggled in his bonds. Zhao walked in and closed the door behind him. Aang looked up at his with anger on his face. As Zhao spoke, I could tell that this was actually the first time that he was gazing upon the Avatar after imprisoning him.

"So," he said, walking up to Aang with his hands behind his back, "this is the _great_ Avatar? Master of all the elements. I don't know how you've managed to elude the Fire Nation for a hundred years, but your little game of hide and seek is over."

Aang's voice was defiant and combative when he spoke,

"I've never hidden from you! Untie me and I'll fight you right now!"

"Uuh, no." Zhao antagonized him. "Tell me, how does it feel to be the only Airbender left? Do you miss your people?"

Aang's look of defiance melted and he dropped his head.

"Oh, don't worry," Zhao taunted, "you won't be killed like they were."

Aang looked up again in anger.

"See," continued Zhao nonchalantly, "if you die, you'll just be reborn and the Fire Nation will have to begin its search for the Avatar all over again. So, I'll keep you alive—but just barely."

As Zhao turned to leave, smirking, Aang blew a gale force wind, and knocked Zhao into a wall beside me where he collapsed in a heap. I suppressed a wild burst of laughter, merely choking slightly. Zhao looked up at me with disapproval, and shook his head to clear his vision. Aang looked at me with some shocked surprise as I still battled my urge to laugh. Zhao growled irritably,

"Blow all the wind you want! Your situation is futile. There is no escaping this fortress, and no one is coming to rescue you."

As Zhao exited, he slammed door behind him, leaving me inside with the Avatar.

"So," I said, trying to appear casual, "how are you?"

He looked angry.

"Why are you doing this? Why do you want to capture me so badly? Katara said that you were on my side!"

"She's actually not too wrong," I said with difficulty.

"Don't you work with Zuko? Where is he? Off plotting my death?"

"He doesn't want you dead," I said seriously. "Nobody wants you _dead."_

"So you're just here to keep me company, or what?" said Aang, annoyed. It was if he was irritably, but at the same time, he was trying to understand me.

I assumed that this was the way of the monks.

"I'm not the one you have to worry about," I muttered. "I actually don't like the Fire Nation myself…"

"Do you know how hard that is to believe with you standing there and me still in chains?" said Aang with a sudden bored expression on his face. "Why aren't you doing something? Are you going to blast me with some telepathy…? Use me as a puppet…? Tell me my fortune…?"

I stared at him.

"Why would I do those things to you?"

"Well, you're Fire Nation. Your people typically do some bad stuff."

Before I could respond, the door opened and Zhao looked at me huffily.

"I was talking the entire time, and it seemed that you weren't behind me!"

I stared at him in surprise.

"Isn't that sort of your fault?" I asked gingerly.

"Just come with me," he said irritably.

Aang frowned at Zhao as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the room.

I furtively waved goodbye to him.

Zhao hauled me to the balcony where it led to oversight of the entire courtyard. An army of Fire Nation troops roared their cheers about Zhao's imprisonment of the Avatar. It turned out that Zhao simply wanted me there to hear his speech.

"We are the sons and daughter of fire! The superior element! Until today, only one thing stood in our path to victory. The Avatar! I am here to tell you that he is now my prisoner!"

The soldiers cheered three times in a victory 'Hurrah'.

"This year," continued Zhao, "the Sozin's Comet returns to grant us its power!"

The soldiers cheered again.

"This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba Sing Se and burns the city to the ground!"

The soldiers applauded. I turned to Zhao.

"You know, the last time the Fire Nation tried to break through the walls of the Earth Kingdom, it failed."

"That's because it was led by General Iroh." Zhao said casually, speaking in his normal volume. "Seriously, Mura, why do you spend so much time rolling in the dirt with those pigs?"

I looked at him without restraining disapproval.

"You know, you really don't speak so well about your former comrades."

He gave me a sickening smile.

"I know you are quite fond of the relatives of the royal family. You grew up with them; you know them. But this is a new order now, Commander. Even if you are a great soldier, you are a fugitive."

"I'm a fugitive with a decorative jacket," I retorted.

Zhao chuckled as if I told a hilarious joke.

"Come. I want you to be one of the soldiers who give the Fire Lord a glowing testimony about my capture of the Avatar. It'll be an honor, I'm sure. Since you're working with me—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, _whoa."_

I turned out of his hold on me and smiled nervously.

"I didn't say _anything_ about joining you for your mission."

"I was under the impression that it was your ulterior motive for coming tonight."

"No," I said, incredulous. "I never considered becoming a part of your crew. I came to thank you for your gift, and I did. So I'm leaving."

"Well, why don't you give me a testimony," said Zhao in attempted, patient voice, "then I'll send an escort to give you a ride to your ship. I'm sure that Prince Zuko is missing you."

"That's all you want, right?" I said carefully. "Just a testimony?"

"Well, _of course_."

I stared at him.

"You're trying to tell if I'm lying," said Zhao, and he was right. "I'm not lying to you, Commander Mura. That would be stupid. Come on. Just let my scribe write down your words about how you saw the Avatar, and then I'll let you go. Is that a fair deal?"

I considered his offer.

I sighed.

"Fine." I grumbled.

"Thatta girl," he said.

"But," I said abruptly, "I want to see him one last time."

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Well, wouldn't you like your soldiers to see the Avatar in person? I mean, are they supposed to just _take your word_ that you have him?"

"But you've seen him." Zhao said quietly.

"Admiral, do you want my testimony or do you not?" I said with forced impatience.

He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, what harm would it do now? I mean, it's not like he can escape."

Zhao held out his arm for me to take, and we walked down the corridor to the prison chamber.

And, ladies and gentlemen, I happy to narrate that when we arrived down a hallway a corner away from the chamber, we saw two Fire Nation soldiers strapped up to the ceiling with chains. In front of the prisoner chamber, the third soldier who had guarded it was knocked unconscious. The fourth had a bucket of water splashed onto his head.

And inside the chamber, there were only the broken chains and hacked shackles.

The Avatar was gone.

Zhao's face twitched horrendously, and he rounded on me.

"Do you have something to do with this, _Witch?_"

I smirked,

"No, how could I? I was with you the _whole_ time."

Zhao yelled furiously and pulled my arm. He hauled me down the corridor to where we were before. We arrived on the ornate balcony. The soldiers were alerted about the Avatar's escape. And a soldier from below cried out with a pointing finger,

"There, on the wall!"

I saw the Blue Spirit (AKA Zuko) and Aang climbing on a rope against a wall of the fortress. The soldier that had spotted them ran forward and cut the rope. The two came falling down the wall, and I heard Aang screaming on the way down. Aang Airbended a padding of wind to soften their landing. The dust cleared, and the Blue Spirit unsheathed his swords. They ran for it.

"Close the gates!" cried Zhao from beside. "Close the gates immediately! The Avatar has escaped!"

As the third gate started to close in front of them, the path was blocked by the band of Zhao's soldiers. Aang blasted them out of the way with a gust of wind. He was headed straight through the part, but he turned to see that the Blue Spirit was caught in a band of melee; he stopped to help. Aang helped his liberator, the gates closed shut. The Avatar battled a soldier and grabbed his spear. He broke off the arrow and made it into a staff. With a cry of strength, Aang took the broken spear and catapulted the Blue spirit to the top of the third wall. As soldiers started to surround him, Aang flew up onto the ledge and plucked his new friend off the wall. He used his new weapon as a rotating blade to stay up in the air. Zuko hung in the air, kicking his feet and swinging his swords to know the spears that were sent at them by the guards. They barely made it to next wall and crashed unceremoniously onto it. Two waves of soldiers came at them, but Aang knocked off the soldiers over the side of the wall. A soldier attacked Aang from behind; but Zuko simply took hold of him and pushed off the side.

Then the soldiers were brought up scaling ladders; they would hit the wall of the fortress and use the gravity push to walk up with fast feet. As the soldiers made up to the top of the wall, Aang depopulated two scaling ladders nearest to him with long blows of wind; Zuko knocked the final soldier off his. Aang gathered the two scaling ladders onto the one that his liberator had emptied. He handed one ladder to the masked man.

"Here, take this!"

Zuko looked at it for a moment.

"Jump on my back!"

Zuko complied and jumped off the wall to wrap his legs around Aang's waist. Aang used the ladders like massive stilts, shedding one each time a step was taken.

It was actually was pretty amazing.

The Blue Spirit handed Aang the last ladder; however, a Fire Nation soldier sent a gout of flame from the bottom. Aang and Zuko jumped from the last stilt, and the managed only to grab the edge of the wall. They fell into a heap of dust and dirt.

Zhao grew heavily irritated at the situation, and he pulled me along without explaining why. We came in front of Zuko on level ground. The Firebenders in front of Zuko unleashed all fire power; but Aang pulled Zuko out of danger and Airbended the flames away.

"Hold your fire!" Zhao ordered. "The Avatar must be taken alive."

Zuko instantly came up from behind Aang and crossed his swords in front of the Avatar's throat, taking him hostage.

For a moment, Zhao and the Blue Spirit merely stared at each other.

Zhao looked at me momentarily.

"Mura, my dear, why don't you go with them?" he said quietly.

"_I'm sorry?_" I said, honestly taken aback.

"Yes," he drawled, inspecting my reaction.

"That man just took the Avatar prisoner," I said, emphasizing incredulity. "Are you _mad?"_

"Well, perhaps it is a little _rash_ to make you go with them." Zhao considered.

"Why don't you…levitate the masked man away from the Avatar?"

"_Sir?_"

"Well, if you don't know this man, why should you have any trouble using powers on him? I mean," said Zhao carefully, "_That's_ why you couldn't do what the Fire Lord asked you to do. Isn't it?"

"Of course," I said.

"So, use your powers to make the masked man step away from the Avatar."

"I can't do that."

"_So you do know this man_?" said Zhao, turning to me with sudden accusation.

"_No," _I said with forced aggression.

"So why can't you do what I'm telling you to do?"

"Well," I said, "for one, you're not exactly the person I work for. I work for Prince Zuko." I indicated Zhao with my hand. "You don't look anything like him."

Zhao seemed to buy my lie (though honestly, it was kind of true), for he said through gritted teeth:

"Open the gate."

An officer questioned his orders,

"Sir?"

"Let them out, now."

As the Blue Spirit backed out through the open gates with his captive, Zhao beckoned me to follow him up to the main gate. Zhao looked upon them from the top with me at his side. A soldier stood beside me—one of Zhao's trained archers. Zuko and Aang were clear across the other side of the long road.

I glanced at Zhao apprehensively.

"I don't condone murder, Zhao." I said; my voice was slighted between clear annoyance and veiled fear.

"The Yu Yan archers don't kill. They could pin a fly to a tree without killing it." He glanced to the archer. "I let them go for a reason. A situation like this requires…precision." He glanced at me with a small smirk in the corner of his mouth. "No pun intended."

"Ha, ha, ha," I said tonelessly.

Zhao spoke to the archer,

"Do you have a clear shot?"

The archer didn't respond, but he lowered his head in preparation for his shot.

"Knock out the chief," said Zhao. "I'll deliver him to the Fire Lord along with the Avatar."

"You have a lot of confidence, don't you?" I said. I didn't bother hiding my dislike.

The archer released his arrow, and it met the Blue Spirit's mask with accurate aim. My stomach rolled unpleasantly as I watched Zuko collapse backwards into the ground. Aang was stunned in horror; however, he recovered, and he Airbended a huge cloud of dust around him and the Blue Spirit.

"Quick!" Zhao cried out, "Recover the Avatar!"

As the soldiers scurried through the road, and the dust started to part, there was no sign of the Avatar or Zuko. Zhao breathed heavily and pleats of anger. I smiled and sighed as if I had eaten a large feast.

"Well, Admiral," I said, patting him on the shoulder. "This has been fun. But I'm afraid that I've stayed much too long. Give my best to the Fire Lord, won't you, _dear?_"

Zhao didn't bother to stop me as I casually made my way out the gate.

I walked back to the ship. Conveniently, I saw Zuko walking up the ship's plank.

"Zuko," I breathed in relief, "You're all right!"

He was sullen, but he was glad to see me.

"You did what you set out to do," I said in a hushed whisper. "You were brilliant, dear."

"Well," he said with a low shrug, "I suppose that means something."

He and I strode up to the main deck.

Iroh looked at us both with some curiosity. He held a Tsungi horn in his lap.

"Hey, where have you been? You missed music night! Lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song."

Zuko walked away.

"I'm going to bed," he said. "No disturbances."

Iroh turned to me.

"Where did _you_ go?"

"I went to see Zhao." I said with a smile.

"And?"

"And it turns out that he _doesn't_ have the Avatar after all. The trip has made me tired. And I need to take a shower."

Iroh looked just as confused as he did with Zuko. However, he didn't question any further.


	28. Date Night

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Date Night

I understand that this is quite a long narration, and it goes without saying that it is actually…_remarkable…_that I can recall this many circumstances. I know it is a habit of liar to outline the story to graphic detail; and at this point, I could understand if those who weren't part of this terrific story are thinking that I am lying. But I assure you, everything that I have described and quoted is exactly as it panned out. As a telekinetic (and possibly the mortal form of Shen Si Ling), I am blessed—and cursed—with an eidetic memory. I have no doubt that I have mentioned this before, even before the trail, to several witnesses, enemies, and possibly my lying defense attorney. An eidetic memory is not a photographic memory. A photographic memory has the ability to recall scenery; an eidetic memory can recall sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and remember every small detail of the events that took place. Along with the five senses, I can recall sensations and, sadly, emotions that were felt during the events that took place.

I imagine that many of you believe that my relationship with Fire Lord Zuko was tarnished during my journey with the Avatar. If that was true, why would Zuko and I still be friends? You may think that you have decided the reason why we are no longer together, but I assure you, it's not what you think.

Because of these small confusions, allow me to put some things on the table right now. My friendship with Azula during my childhood _was_ a strong one. Quite frankly, I thought we would be friends forever. She admired my abilities; I admired hers. She did know that I was different, and she had seen my powers before I 'wimped' out in front of Fire Lord Ozai. That's why it hurts a bit much to know that even though she knew _why_ I couldn't demonstrate my telekinesis, she burned me anyway.

I want to set the bar and say that in my entire journey with Zuko or the Avatar, any loyalty that I had shown to Azula was out of the concern or necessity for Zuko's sake or the sake of the Avatar's well-being. Even after she and I met again after ten years, it was clear that she and I were never really good friends in the end. Azula was beautiful—she still is—and I suppose that what I did to her was very unethical. However, you shouldn't judge me for what I have done. There is still quite a bit of story-telling to go, and I don't want you to make up your mind just yet.

As for Zuko and me…I won't deny that I had hoped that our relationship would last, that I had intended for us to marry and grow old together. I guess it's a little too late to be admitting this. Mai, if you're listening, and no doubt you are, you should know that you are very lucky to have a husband so devoted to you, and you should always keep him close. True, he's a bit of a hot head, but under all that…well, hotness…there is an understanding man. I suppose my explanation for our…well, break up…will be explained later down the line. Anyway, I just want you, Fire Lord Zuko, to know that when you found me on that island, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't think that this should interfere with the court's decision about my impending sentence—be it acceptance, banishment, or death—but I think it's something that should be said, even if I'm not the one saying it.

Obviously, I can't be in the courtroom, seeing as how this story is quite lengthy. Probably somebody is reading it off right now, but I suppose that really doesn't matter.

Anyway, a few more things before I continue my account need to be addressed.

General Iroh, or rather just Iroh (that's what he likes me to call him nowadays), if you are listening, and no doubt you are too, I think it's best for you to know that through whatever comes of this story, I think you should know that I really did think of you as a father figure. You constantly told me through my journey that you thought of me as a daughter; and whether or not this changes anything, I think you should know that I'm glad that you did.

The spirit that I've mentioned several times is an actual specter of the Spirit World. I've actually asked Avatar Aang to enter the Spirit World to confirm Shen Si Ling; and, yes, she does exist. And yes, she is both an angel and a demon when she is in a good or bad temper. Shen Si Ling is actually more of a goddess rather than a spirit like Hei Bai; she is an all-knowing scholar who has the emotions of a human-being, and understands anger, love, sadness, and happiness. Shen Si Ling governs the mind, body, and spirit; this much is true. I'm still not sure if I am the spirit in her mortal form. I highly doubt it, but I've been wrong before. Anyway, according to Aang, I apparently share a connection with Shen Si Ling that is similar to him and the past line of Avatars. Later on, I'll tell you my little…ahem…group therapy sessions with Shen Si Ling that come so much later in the story.

I would also admit that I actually do have a very nasty temper. In fact, the one thing that actually makes my powers go awry _is_ anger, and I'm not so sure how to handle that, even today. It's sort of one of those things that you never know how to control until you do. I'm not sure what other things are like that, but I'm pretty sure that you could think of a few examples.

Also, the gifts that Zhao gave me, the meteorite bear balls. If you still have no idea what I'm talking about, maybe you should talk to Toph Beifong or Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. The reason why I say that is because the substance that Zhao gave me as a present is actually the same weird 'space earth' that Sokka's sword is made out of, and Toph has actually Bended this sort of wacky stuff. I'm still not sure how Zhao came across it. I really don't want to know, and I think that if I did, it's a bit late, don't you think?

Well, I suppose I'll continue our little story to the first time that I met June, the skillful (and beautiful) bounty hunter, June, who introduced to me what exactly a Shirshu is. This is also the same time that Sokka, Katara, and Aang will remember as the day that they were reunited with Bato, a friend of their father, Chief Hakoda: both men, by the way, who are quite as humorous as Iroh.

After the Blue Spirit rescued the Avatar, we ported on the edge of the Earth Kingdom coast, not too far from Makapu village, which is the current residence of the Fortune Teller, 'Aunt' Wu. I only mention her because it's useful for the outsiders to know where exactly we ported. I mean, details _are_ quite necessary in this sort of trial, even the municipal ones.

Although Lt. Jee noted that the Avatar had been headed north, I gave the map reader a little nudge, hinting that it wasn't exactly the Avatar's habit to seek trouble; and trouble was where Zhao was. The Avatar was probably headed for some place calm and collected; though Makapu Village wasn't exactly what I had in mind at that time. Zuko was the better tracker, not me. I simply studied people and put in my two cents. While Prince Zuko and the crew ported on the coast, the Avatar and his friends were making friends with the fortune teller. I didn't know this at the time, but again, details, details, details.

I had become quite soft-hearted toward the Komodo Rhinos who were still hauled in the cargo hold below. I confronted Zuko about my concerns. We weren't going to simply give away four large Komodo Rhinos, so I proposed in trading the latter for a good sum of gold, which would be used for supplies at a nearby merchant shop.

The trade went off without a hitch, and the crew members boarded the ship with more food and extra fish, to Iroh's salivating delight. The cook made a feast in celebration of the Avatar's escape from Zhao's prison tower, and General Iroh insisted that Zuko should be a part of it.

I'm not so sure why he was still moody during the celebration, but I suppose I could understand from his point of view of the position he was back in; it was better than the Avatar being imprisoned, but still the fact remained: he couldn't go home until Aang was captured.

When the feast was over, and the party slowly subsided, music night began with a beautiful serenade from Lt. Jee, who in fact did have a lovely voice. Zuko sat with his arms folded tightly across his chest. I enjoyed a cup of ginger ale, which was a relieving, cinnamon concoction that tasted so much more different than tea. I enjoyed tea, but I didn't share Iroh's love for it. I still don't. But I can't deny that he makes delicious Ginseng tea at a moment's notice.

I glanced at Zuko and scooted beside him.

"One day, when you're not too busy brooding," I whispered, "you take me out to a restaurant."

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, what else is there to do in a small town?" I retorted flatly.

"I meant why would I take you out somewhere? I wouldn't even call _this_ dating."

"Well, it could be if you smiled during music night."

He gave me a look.

"You're a lot cuter when you do smile," I said lightly.

"Thanks," he said tonelessly.

"Ugh, come with me." I took his hand and guided him back to the chamber.

"Wait, where are we going?"

I led him through the galley.

"Mura, _where_ are you taking me?"

"Shut up and follow me."

"If this is another way of teasing me, you're really not funny."

I pulled him through his bedroom and closed the door with a wave of my hand.

"Mura—"

"Zuko, just listen to me, all right?"

He pursed his lips unhappily.

We stood in silence.

"I know what you did back in Zhao's prison chamber; you set the Avatar free. That's a _good_ thing." I said strenuously. "Why aren't you happy like the rest of us that he's free? Zhao was about to write a letter to your father, saying that he had the Avatar. You prevented that. I mean, aren't you the teeniest, tiniest bit happy to know that Zhao won't have the pleasure of ruining the rest of your _life_?"

"He's still out there," said Zuko directly. "He still can catch the Avatar before me." He paused. "You took me down here to tell me this?"

"No, that's not why I brought you down here."

I strode to the mantle where his _antique_ broadswords were displayed.

"Mura…"

I waved at them, and they came toward me in mid-air.

"Mura, _what _are you _doing_?"

"You won't take me out on a walk; you won't take me out to eat. Clearly your definition of dating is far less traditional." I said. I snatched the floating dual swords out of the air and tossed them to him. He caught them by basic instinct. "So you're going to do something for me."

"If it's cutting off your head, you're out of luck."

I smiled,

"Did Prince Zuko just make a joke?"

He looked at me with a bored expression on his face.

"Look," I said plainly, "you need some sort of excitement in your life. Now I had fun the other night when you were escaping with the Avatar. Apparently, I actually do like this sort of thing. And I'm not too sure why I like seeing you angry; but for some reason I do. Now, if you're not going to get anything out of this thing that we're about to do then at least _I _will."

"_What_ exactly are you talking about that we're supposedly going to do?" said Zuko, growing impatient.

"You'll get the point _really _fast." I said casually.

"What—? Ah!"

I formed seven metal balls with the substance that Zhao had given me, and they bolted at Zuko like several bullets. Zuko parried each with his swords like an expert swordsman. A look of shock flickered only for a moment on his face before he realized what exactly I meant. The metal balls that he had blocked came back to me like I was a human magnet, and they crushed together in my palms, forming a sleek Akatari right in my fingertips. Zuko's dual swords and my makeshift swords clung together, the sound of steel on steel scraped in our ears. It didn't take long for him to understand our little 'game', and our duel lasted for quite a while. I picked up on how to mutate my new ability with little effort on my part.

Our battle went unheard and unnoticed by the crewman up on the foredeck. We didn't call a truce until both of us were slick with sweat, and we could barely hold our bodies up from the floor. My sword of substance melted into a long snake, which slithered up my leg and attached to my waist as a black waist band.

We collapsed on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"You know," Zuko panted, "you're a _really_ weird girl."

"I know," I breathed painfully. "You're not that bad either."

I heard him chuckle breathlessly.

I think it was the most beautiful sound that I ever heard that night.


	29. June

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Twenty-Nine: June

It was morning, a pretty day for any traveler, and Iroh and Zuko were in the galley, enjoying a cup of hot tea. I resumed my post on the main deck, where I was bending my meteorite bear balls into a glide disc.

This is the same sled that the Avatar and his friends know about since I use it as a secondary form of transportation. It's not too different from a levitating platform, except that I control it with my mind. I guess it should suffice it to say that extenuated use of my disc also hurts my head.

As I molded the space earth into a sheet of black, slick tar, I was preoccupied. When I looked up from my work, I was startled when a massive, hideous monster flew up onto the foredeck. The soldiers behind me stood back in surprise. Mounted on the beast's back was a young, dark-haired woman.

This lady, of course, is June, the bounty hunter.

The monster she was mounted on was a cross between a mole and an anteater; it had no eyes, but a sensitive nose, and it was as large as the Avatar's flying bison. The bounty hunter looked at me then to the rest of the crew,

"Get back! We're after a stowaway."

Zuko appeared behind me; he was angry.

"There are no stowaways on my ship!"

Aside from Zuko's claim, the monster proceeded to rip out a chunk of the deck plating and hurled it aft. The plate of metal was dodged by Zuko, Iroh, and the rest of the crew; Zuko's expression hardened. Then to my surprise, a frail man dressed in Earth Kingdom citizen clothes climbed out of the hole and crawled onto the foredeck. As he started to make a run for it, the monster quickly whipped the back of the man's neck with a long tongue. He fell instantly onto the deck, conscious but motionless.

"He's paralyzed." Zuko said, slightly stunned.

June stepped toward me, and hoisted the man over her shoulder. She gave me a weird smirk and looked at Prince Zuko.

"Only temporarily. The toxins'll wear off in about an hour. But by then he'll be in jail and I'll have my money." June said, striding back to her pet beast.

"But how did you find him on my ship?" asked Zuko.

"My Shirshu can smell a rat a continent away," said June proudly. "Oh, and the girl that's with you…" she indicated me with the black whip that she held in her flawless hand. "She looks a bit like her wanted poster. You might want to dye her hair or something, or else I'm coming after her for the bounty on _her_ head."

Zuko and Iroh gave me a strange look. I wasn't surprised to know that there was a price on my corpse, but I was a bit confused as to what she was talking about.

"What wanted poster?" I questioned.

June pulled out a scroll of parchment and tossed to me with nary a worry or care.

I looked at the picture. The talented sketch artist that had drawn the picture of the Avatar drew this one with just as much depth as the last; however, he seemed to have forgotten that my looks would have matured in the last…six years.

"This looks like I'm a prepubescent girl," I muttered, staring at the picture.

"Hey," said June carelessly, "I just know that if I were you, I'd be changing a few things."

"So why don't you just arrest me now?" I retorted with interest. "I mean, you _have_ me now."

"What, do you think I'm stupid or something?" said June sardonically as she mounted her Shirshu. "I know a few things about you; I've done my research. Besides, I'm still working with my first payload."

I looked at her oddly.

"Who has _your _loyalty, I wonder?"

"My loyalty goes to the highest bidder," said June with a slight smirk. "So you can take that and put in your pocket. Come on, Nyla! _Hah!_"

She cracked her whip and the Shirshu bolted off the ship and down the dock. Iroh came up from behind me to look after the retreating monster,

"I'm impressed."

His eyes lingered a while longer, which led me to believe that his interests were more in the rider than the beast.

"Very impressed," he added, stroking his chin.

Zuko gave him an annoyed look.

I looked back at the parchment, observing the wanted poster. On the outside, I developed sort of a front of calm and collection; however, deep down in the pit of my stomach, I was concerned about how many people actually wanted the money that hovered over my head. My concerns about my bounty weren't too deep, owing to the fact that even Zhao had me in his clutches and he let me go. So obviously, the Fire Lord didn't want me as bad as the Avatar; in this case, it was a relief.

June struck me as a person whose loyalty weren't only paid in money. There were favors that could be considered debt. I hadn't been well-read on the ways of the world, but a debt to be paid didn't always have to be in copper and gold pieces. In Zuko's eyes, apparently, that was his train of thought as well. I considered the parchment with admirable scrutiny. The sketch artist was quite talented, and I _did _admire artwork. General Iroh, too, was anticipating the next time we saw June; though I really didn't have to try hard to notice.

Red perched on my shoulder, squawking loudly for the last five minutes. His feathers were ruffled, and he looked like he was throwing a temper tantrum. I felt it just as plainly, for his sharp talons dug into my shoulder painfully. I winced in his grip, though I felt no consideration to swat off my dear friend. Sometimes, animals just bite harder or hold on tighter when you do that. And since my feathery friend was a bit of a hot head himself, I decided to let him scream all he wanted, as long he didn't draw blood.

"Will you _shut _that thing up?" said Zuko, clasping his hands over his ears, shouting over penetrate able squeals of Red. "He's giving me a headache!"

"He's just a little upset from June's visit," I said, though I admitted inwardly that I was starting to feel a little numb. I raised my hands to Red and lightly plucked him off my shoulder.

"Hey," I said to him, "Hey, it's okay. The mean Shirshu is gone now. Hey. HEY!"

Red silenced after I raised my voice at him. His feet hung limply as I held his body in my hands. He cocked his head to the side as if he had no idea why I screamed at him. The plumes from his head raised and lowered like a cat's fur when he gets angry.

"You want to tone it down a bit?" I said sweetly to Red. "You're starting to irritate Zuko; and if I have to deal with him, so do you."

Red cooed a sign of submission.

Zuko looked at me sternly.

"Is the only way that you can shut him up is by insulting me while I'm standing _right_ here?"

I shrugged. Red grabbed my wrist in his feet and balanced himself on my hand.

"He doesn't seem to like you just yet," I muttered. Red squawked agreeably at Prince Zuko, flapping his wings aggressively. "Hey, you don't have to be so confrontational either, pet."

"Come on, Uncle," Zuko said, heading for shore, "we're going to find her."

"To do what?" I called after him as Iroh walked with him, a bounce in his step.

"Her Shirshu could track a stowaway; so it can track the Avatar."

"So what, you're just going to barge into a seedy bar and demand payment?" I retorted, folding my across my chest. "Isn't that a bit too easy? Did you and I see the same woman?"

"Look," said Zuko, turning to me, "if you think there's going to be an issue, why don't you just come with me then?"

"Why is it that when you ask me to come along, it always sounds like you really don't want me to go?" I muttered rhetorically. Red flew off my hand and stayed by the ship.

General Iroh, Zuko, and I walked off the ship and stepped onto the shore.

June was more than just looks and a fancy whip. The way that I discovered this was that when we came upon a rough, wrestling bar, I took the hint when a man dressed in rags was flown out of the window. He landed in a heap beside our feet. Zuko led the way inside, though it wasn't hard to push through the crowd: Zuko did the pushing.

We entered a tavern that was filled to capacity with revelers. In the center of the room, I spotted the pretty bounty hunter arm-wrestling with a beefy man. The man was actually getting his ass kicked; he was sweating profusely to best June, but she didn't even appear to be trying. She wore the same smirk on her face as the one that she had given me on the ship. Zuko forced his way through the crowd,

"Out of my way! Step aside, filth!"

Iroh covered the rear, politely crossing through the threshold while keeping me close to Zuko's back. The travelers who were shoved out of the way frowned in my wake as I followed the pushy Prince. Iroh smiled at the people, attempting to smoothly recover his nephew's rudeness,

"He means no offense! I'm sure you bathe regularly."

We arrived at the table. The beefy man glanced in our general direction, but he continued to grunt and struggle against June's grip. Her voice was relaxed and easy, absent of the voice of the struggle.

"I need to talk to you," said Zuko.

"Well," drawled June, glancing at us, "if it isn't my new friends, Angry Boy and Uncle Lazy." She looked at me swiftly, "And a walking pocket of gold."

Iroh laughed heartily for a moment; June ended the contest with one swift movement. Her black hair fell down to the table like a silky curtain, and she pushed it out of her face. The crowd erupted and a lot of money changed hands; most of it ended in a big pile in front of June. Along with money, an exchange of challenges went around the room like a forest fire. One push in the entire tavern would create mass bar brawl.

"Your beast trashed my ship," Zuko said moodily.

"A very cute beast, by the way," I added affectionately.

"You have to pay me back," finished Zuko without missing a beat.

June raked in the pile of coins,

"Aww, I'd love to help you out, but I'm a little short on money" To the rambunctious crowd, she called, "Drinks on me!"

"Ah," I said blatantly, "a few tempers mixed with alcohol. Now if that isn't a beautiful combination, I don't know what is."

Zuko grabbed her hand that had raised a cup to her lips,

"_Money_ isn't what I had in mind."

She pulled her hand out of his grip and gave him a frown.

"Well, exactly where did you want to talk about this business deal? I can't exactly push through all those challengers."

"I think," I said, "that you could; but you don't want to."

June smiled at me sarcastically,

"Well, aren't you just a peach."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to contain his fueling temper. I set a hand on his shoulder and sat down in front of June.

"I have an idea," I said.

"I'm listening."

"Actually, you just have to watch." I said, smirking.

June's eyebrow rose with an intrigued look. I turned to where the loser from June's match was arguing with a companion who no doubt bet against him. I gestured a push with the palm of my hand; he was sent forward into the floor. For June and me, we both knew that I had done it. However, to the beefy loser and to the rest of the tavern, it looked like someone had purposely shoved him.

As I had expected, the loser and his companion ganged up on an innocent pair of homey neighbors; then it stemmed from there:

One huge massive bar brawl.

June looked at me,

"I like you. Come on."

I smiled innocently at Zuko and Iroh, who were looking at me with dumbfounded gazes. As June, Iroh, Zuko, and I filed out of the door, I waved my hand; and it closed behind us.

June strode up to her Shirshu, which uttered a noise that was between a growl and purr. She patted its head.

"Nyla," she said in a sudden loving voice, "who's my snuffly wuffly…?

The Shirshu greeted her master with cuddling gesture in June's direction. I was startled when Nyla's long, red tongue lashed out of an apparent attempt to show June some love; June dodged out of the way and closed her pet's mouth,

"Whoa! Careful there!"

She turned to look at Zuko and leaned against the side of her great beast.

Zuko pulled Katara's Water Tribe necklace from the inside of his sleeve and presented it to June,

"I need you to find someone."

June scoffed,

"What happened? Your girlfriend run off on you?"

"It's not the girl I'm after," said Zuko seriously. "It's the bald monk she's traveling with."

"Whatever you say."

"If you find them, I'll consider the damage to my ship paid for."

"Heh! Forget it." She turned to climb into her saddle.

Iroh offered a better price to her work,

"Plus we'll pay your weight in gold."

June climbed down and stepped toward him with a devious smirk on her face.

"Make it _your_ weight, and we've got a deal."

"You got it," laughed Iroh.

"Get on!"

June grabbed the necklace and stepped to Nyla's side; Iroh climbed on first, then me, then Zuko. Nyla sniffed the necklace extensively, and she tracked the scent in the air. Then she growled in confirmation. June pulled herself onto her saddle.

Nyla took off a remarkable speed. We traveled quickly, faster than I thought the beast could run. We came upon the base of a hill in an old, decrepit town square. An elderly woman crouched near the ground to harvest some plants. A white, fluffy cat tensed and hissed as we approached. The herbalist rose to her feet, unafraid, looked at us.

This was the same herbalist that I had told Zuko about when we heard that the Avatar had been captured by Zhao.

"Out for a bit of fresh air, are we?"

"We're looking for someone." Zuko said.

The old woman glanced down at her cat,

"I hope it's not Miyuki. Miyuki, did you get in trouble with the Fire Nation again?"

"The Avatar's been through here," said June, "Let's keep moving."

She cracked her whip and Nyla took off in a jerking movement. It was about another half hour before June's Shirshu entered Makapu Village, sniffing literally all over the town. Upon seeing us, the people screamed and fled, taking cover inside the various houses and market places. We came upon a woman who didn't flee.

This woman was Aunt Wu, the fortune teller. She looked serene, if not entirely pleased. Nyla halted and continued to sniff the ground.

Although I started to grow fond of Nyla (I mean, any animal who sniffs the ground is cute), Zuko's patience was starting wear down.

"Why are we stopping?" snapped Zuko.

"Because the girl must have spent a lot of time here," said June apathetically.

"We don't have time for this."

Zuko grabbed the necklace out of June's hand and slid off the Shirshu in a steady motion. June and Iroh watched him as he strode out in front of Nyla and showed her the necklace again. He narrowly avoided getting zapped by her tongue.

"Hey, watch it!"

Iroh laughed.

June chuckled,

"Oh, look, she likes you."

Aunt Wu looked up at Iroh.

"Care to hear your fortune, handsome?"

Iroh responded with a smile,

"At my age, there is really only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery."

Zuko grunted in growing frustration. He climbed up Nyla's back and sat behind me. His hands wrapped around my waist; and Nyla took off again. About twenty minutes later, we arrived in an abbey, which consisted of stone and no vegetation; a group of sisters dressed in white robes from head to toe looked to us as Nyla bombarded through the doors. I started to feel nauseous from the jerking stop and go.

"I…I'm just going to…climb down…" I panted quietly, slowly making my way down Nyla's furry coat. "When you find the Avatar…just come get me…"

"Are you all right, Mura?" asked Iroh cautiously.

"Yep…Yep…" I assured him. "But apparently I can't ride a Shirshu without wanting to vomit. Give my best to the Water Tribe siblings," I said weakly, waving them off.

"We're getting close," said June to Iroh and Zuko. "See ya later, Mura."

They bounded out of the gate up followed a road.

The abbey sisters looked at me fearfully. I simply sat down to calm my sickened stomach. They didn't approach me or bother me, but they continued to make their perfume.

It wasn't long after they left that Zuko, Iroh, and June came back on Nyla, though when they returned, they came back with two extras. Katara and Sokka were on the back of the saddle, but no Avatar. Seeing the Shirshu, the abbey sisters ran away screaming in all directions.

Nyla began walking around, sniffing.

"What's it doing?" said Zuko. "It's just going in a circle!"

Nyla's nose pointed up to the sky. I looked up to see Aang flying on his glider; he flew over the Shirshu, who jumped up to snap at him. Nyla missed, and she sent her riders onto the floor of the courtyard. The Shirshu fell flat on her back.

Katara and Sokka had been paralyzed by Nyla's tongue, and they were sent to the floor like a couple of flopping fish. June jumped up and whipped the ground; Nyla roared and got up. June jumped onto its back. They charged after Aang. As Aang was almost Shirshu food, the loyal flying bison charged from the right and plowed straight into Nyla's side, sending June flying into the air.

Zuko and Aang stood in front of each other in a classic stand-off. Iroh took my arm and casually pulled me out of the way as if to lead me to an interesting landmark.

"This Prince Zuko's fight," he said. And he turned to an array of abandoned bottles of perfume with interest.

"General, I can't just stand and do nothing."

"Zuko wants to capture the Avatar alone. If he needs your help, he will ask for it."

I turned to see Zuko and Aang trade fiery and windy blows at each other, and they either missed or were blocked. They fired volleys simultaneously and were blown backwards onto the roofs behind them. June and her pet were knocked unconscious. Iroh strayed from my side to pat June's face. She woke up and rose to her feet. Iroh strode casually beside me and gave me a guilty smile.

From the other side of the abbey, Sokka and Katara were pulled away from the fray by a couple of sisters.

June and her Shirshu charged Appa.

Zuko charged Aang on the spine of a single roof; his blast missed as the Avatar flipped over Zuko's head to land behind him. They exchanged blows; Aang knocked Zuko off the roof. Aang was instantly replaced as June and her Shirshu jumped onto the roof and tried to pursue him. Appa in turn used his tail to create a gal that blew off tiles off the roof as the Shirshu passed.

Iroh tugged the sleeve of the robe under my Fire Nation armor, pulling my attention from the brawl. He held a bottle of perfume in his hand,

"What do you think about this one?"

I looked at him, incredulous, but I was quite entertained by his nonchalant attitude.

"General Iroh, your nephew is in a fight, and you're—"

He interrupted me by spotting my wrist with the perfume and placed my hand in front of my face.

"Wow," I said, amused. "This is good."

He looked from side to side, and he tucked the bottle that he sampled into his robe, a mischievous smile planted on his face.

Aang and Zuko dueled again, though they had made their way down from the roof and now covered well separated them. They traded volleys. Aang called to Zuko, noticing the necklace wrapped around Zuko's hand,

"You've got something I want!"

They traded volleys again; Zuko destroyed the well's covering. They danced on the lip of the well, neither one able to gain a decisive advantage over the other. Aang kept trying to grab for the necklace, but failed. Zuko lunged after Aang, and he missed. As Zuko lunged, Aang slipped his foot through the loop of the necklace, caught it, and disappeared down the well. Zuko fired a huge torrent of flame after him in frustration. Not a minute later, Zuko was launched into the air over a huge jet of water; the Avatar landed on the ground, and Zuko joined it in a heap, landing hard. Zuko staggered to his feet, his anger anew. He pursued the Avatar, but Appa advanced threateningly, forcing him back. Before Appa could strike at him, June's Shirshu lashed at the heels of Appa's feet with her tongue. After battling the neurotoxins, Appa keeled over, ultimately paralyzed.

From the side of the wall, Sokka and Katara gained feeling back. Realizing that my fellow comrades were now outnumbered, I raced over to them to even the odds. Sokka pulled out his boomerang and machete; Katara bended the water from the two troughs on either side of me. I pulled the belt from my waist, and the bear balls retreated from being a slinky band to solidifying into seven metal bullets. I wielded them separately at the two Water Tribe peasants.

Sokka dodged them; Katara's Waterbending shocked me as two cold waves washed over me like a Tsunami. I fell to the ground, sopping wet, but otherwise unscathed. Sokka came at me with warrior cry; from around him, the seven bullets materialized into a meteorite sword. It flung in front of me as he struck, and the cling of metal on whale tooth sounded in the abbey.

"What the—?"

Sokka uttered incredulity as he battled with an invisible swordsman. Katara created a water whip and smacked me with it in the face. My concentration suffered, and I reeled in momentary agony. My sword fell apart into seven shards as if it was glass.

As Katara advanced toward me, a blast of fire scoured the air above me. I looked over my shoulder to see Zuko's hand outstretched in my direction, where it was obviously he who had sent the blow. Sokka stepped back and stood behind Katara, but whatever was going to happen didn't, for Aang shot a blast of wind into Zuko's back. Sokka and Katara retreated back to the abbey sisters.

Aang was forced back against a wall, dodging Zuko's fire blasts and the Shirshu's tongue. I turned to see Katara bending a mess of perfume into a huge sheet; his moved over us in a shadow.

"Oh, great," I muttered moodily.

Then Katara dropped it.

Nyla shook her head from the liquid, but turned around to see her target; however, the perfume bombarded her senses to tell who was who. She lashed out her tongue and it whipped Zuko in the chest, followed by June. Iroh sent himself forward and caught the bounty hunter in his arms. The Shirshu rampaged over the abbey, and eventually climbed over one of the buildings, fleeing the area.

I rushed to Zuko, who was paralyzed from the shoulders, down.

"Zuko, are you okay?"

I looked up to see Aang, Katara, and Sokka mount the saddle on Appa, and they took off. Iroh lay flat on the ground. A paralyzed June was draped across his chest, his arm around her.

"Uncle?" Zuko said, turning his head. "I didn't see you get hit with the tongue."

Iroh glanced at his nephew and put a finger to his lips,

"Shh."

June's eyes opened, and she wore a look that showed that was clearly displeased.

I sighed, knowing that I would have to transfer Iroh and Zuko back to the ship on my own.


	30. I'll Be Here When You Get Back

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Thirty: I'll Be Here When You Get Back

I brought Zuko back to the ship by forming a large black disc from the slickness of the meteorite bear balls, and carrying him on it like a gurney. Before I left the abbey, I asked the sisters to look after June until the toxins wore off; they at first declined, but I changed their minds when I mended their broken village with the help of my invisible construction workers. The shingles were put back to their original places; and the big spill retracted from the cobblestone courtyard and separated itself equally into the open bottles of perfume. After I did my one good deed for the day, they bided me a charming farewell, and I was on my way.

Carrying Zuko on a metal disc was extremely mind-degrading; by the time we arrived at the ship, I thought my head was going to fall off my shoulders.

I suppose it's as painful as staring at the sky for so long and then you suddenly look down; that familiar crick in your neck makes bending down to observe something a bit impossible. Well, that's sort of how I felt when I got to the ship, except imagine carrying a body on your shoulders while you gaze up at the cloudless sky.

By the time I arrived on the ship, the Shirshu's toxins had worn off, and Zuko and Iroh walked up the plank with little effort on their part. I reached the foredeck and sat down with nothing more than a few words to say, exhausted.

"Well," I said tiredly, lying down, "that was a waste of time."

"We'd have gotten the Avatar if that beast hadn't nicked me," said Zuko. He turned to Iroh, who looked like he was reminiscing. "I'm going to bed."

"You're not going to come to music night?" asked Iroh.

Zuko sighed in exasperation,

"_Every_ night is music night."

I looked at Iroh from my comfortable spot on the deck and gestured understandably,

"He _is_ right, General. I mean, every other night has been music night. I'm sure that Zuko will come to the next one."

Iroh smiled at me as I lowered my head to enjoy the hard metal under my back. Zuko seemed to accept my statement as a "go ahead" to going back to his chambers to sleep off the day that had lasted him. It had been another one of those "nearly had the avatar" days, and at the end of them, there was always an air on the ship that seemed…_deflated_.

I empathized with him. I mean, I had my butt thumped by a Water Tribe girl; and all she had to do was smack me in the face with a water whip. It's actually pretty easy to take me down if you know how to distract me. Aside from the ALL POWERS OF THE MIND AND ABILITIES TO CONTROL PEOPLE, I actually do have quite a few weaknesses…such as being the victim of a simple splash like the water whip. Trivia time: for those who didn't know, Katara was actually trying to practice the Water Whip when she was on shore (also when she was being captured by pirates and, shortly after, Zuko). As you now know, she perfected it…on me.

Even if I wanted to ask Zuko to stay aboard for music night, he was in such a foul mood that any attempt to persuade him would have left us squabbling like usual. Knowing my limits, I let the broody prince retreat to his quarters where there was a good chance that he was sitting in the dark.

Lt. Jee and his crewmates settled around a few lit candles; Iroh poured each shipmate a cup of Jasmine tea, and he handed me a bottle of something that I didn't recognize. I sniffed it, and it was a cross between something tasty and something quite foul. I wrinkled my nose and looked into it questionably.

"Just take a sip or two," said Iroh, gesturing for me to sit down beside him. "It's actually a favorite in a Fire Nation brewery."

I took his word for it and took a brave gulp.

"Holy Oasis," I muttered cheerfully, "this stuff is delicious."

I drained a few more gulps in; Iroh laughed and gently pulled the bottle out of my hand.

"You don't want to drink too much at one time," he said, smiling. "However, it relaxes the muscles and gives one a feeling of being completely relaxed. You're really not supposed to take any of it until you're about my age," he chuckled, "but considering the circumstances, I think it's necessary."

He held up the bottle.

"It's a subtle wine, fire whiskey."

"Well," I snorted, "I would _never_ have guessed that it was made in the Fire Nation."

He caught my sarcasm and chuckled.

"It is music night," he said. "Any suggestions?"

"I still think '_Four Seasons'_ is my favorite," I sighed, lying on the deck. "I'm getting a bit fuzzy-brained. That's not bad, is it?"

He looked down at me.

"My, perhaps you took more than what I thought you did. Seems that you're a bit tipsy."

"Ah, I'm sure I'll be peachy-keen," I said dismissively. "You should sing tonight. You have a nice voice."

"Why don't you sing _with_ me?" suggested Iroh.

I shrugged my shoulders and sat up slowly. I rose to my feet and staggered in my step.

"Lt. Jee," I said, "why don't you start off?"

Lt. Jee nibbled his fingers on a beautiful, brass string instrument. He played a simple staccato tune. A second man, the helmsman, accompanied him with drums. General Iroh nodded his head to the sweet tune of the beginning of my favorite song. He indicated me to sing first, so I obligated.

"Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Four seasons,

Four loves.

Four seasons,

Four loves."

Two other shipmates paired off and took the other as his dancing partner. Iroh sang the chorus again as the shipmates danced to the slow beat,

"Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Four seasons,

Four loves.

Four seasons,

Four loves."

Iroh took my hand in a silent suggestion to dance; I accepted wordlessly. He smiled as a father would to his daughter during a small friendly waltz. The song slowly swayed to the second verse, which I had to sing in a low vibrato (and apparently, this was the thing that I was known for on the ship, according to Iroh at a later date),

"When leaves shall fall, I'll follow,

Where the blossoms grow are some.

And we shall go with the seasons,

Come whatever may come."

A beat.

"Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Four seasons, for four days of endless love,

Four seasons,

Four loves."

Iroh stopped dancing, and the music was cut almost abruptly. I turned to see that a visitor had arrived on our ship without invitation; however, it wasn't unlike what I did to him. In front of us with a small smile playing annoyingly on his lips, Admiral Zhao approached all of us with his hands held behind his back.

"Well," he drawled, approaching me personally, "what my soldiers tell is true after all. You _do_ sing lovely."

"What do you want?" I said; I honestly didn't even try to hide my contempt.

General Iroh put a hand on my shoulder disapprovingly and said with a patient tone,

"Now, Mura, don't be rude to our guest. Admiral Zhao, it's quite an…unexpected…surprise to see you here. What is the occasion?"

"Actually, it's quite an occasion that I would like for you, General Iroh, and Commander Mura to be part of; it's happening soon." Zhao said. He smiled widely as his eyes met mine. "I wouldn't want you to miss any of it."

"Why, then," I asked distastefully, "do I get the feeling that I would like to miss it?"

"It's that mind of yours that I admire, Commander," he said, pointing at my head. "Actually, I need to run this by Prince Zuko. I'm recruiting every crew available to run a siege to the North Pole."

How I felt about this news was evident, for Zhao looked at me with a devious smirk.

"I see, Mura, that you feel just as spiritually connected to the other nations as General Iroh. There's no doubt in my mind that would lead me to believe that you think every nation has its place in the world."

"It's true," I said grudgingly. "To wipe out a whole civilization—it's completely barbaric."

"It's been done before, and nothing has happened to us," said Zhao flatly. "It's what the world needs, and it's what the Fire Lord has ordered for me to do. Unlike you, dear Mura, I won't disobey him."

I felt my face burn resentfully.

"Wiping out the Air Nomads did nothing for the rest of the world," I retorted irritably. "You think killing every Water Tribe sister and brother is going to help the Fire Nation? Is that how the Fire Lord will make everyone bow to him? If he thinks those people are going to let him rule the world so willingly, Fire Lord Ozai is a _fool_."

"Hm," Zhao sighed, frowning, "you sound just like Zuko."

"Because it's true, and you know it," I remarked hotly.

Iroh pulled me away from Zhao with his hands in front me.

"Mura, please, control your temper."

"Prince Zuko," said Zhao impatiently. "Where is he?"

"Where do you think?" I snapped.

He ignored my pretense, turned on his heel, and strode down into the quarter deck. Iroh led me down calmly. Iroh peeked into Zuko's room cautiously. I heard Zuko's voice say,

"For the last time, I'm not playing the Tsungi horn!"

Iroh stepped into the chamber; I followed him inside. Zuko looked at me with some interest; it seemed that I was very bad at hiding disappointment.

"It's about our plans," specified Iroh calmly. "There's a bit of a problem."

Zhao entered the room behind us. He spared no introduction,

"I'm taking your crew."

Zuko was on his feet in a flash of a second.

"_What?_"

Zhao explained further,

"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole."

"Uncle, is that true?" said Zuko, turning to face Iroh.

Iroh nodded.

"I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone. Even the cook!"

Zuko glanced at me, confused.

"Of course," said Zhao when he noticed Zuko's gaze, "your loyal dog refuses to come with me."

I frowned.

Seriously, if ever you were going to convince somebody to come with you on a cruise, who would ever call said somebody a dog? I mean, really, would _you_ go with him after that? At any rate, Zuko seemed a bit relieved to know that I hadn't succumbed to Zhao's…_charming…_serenade; however, this was only a small happy measure in a yard of bad news.

Zhao continued as if he had never insulted me,

"Sorry that you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again."

Zuko charged at him in anger; but Iroh prevented him from tackling Zhao.

"You know," I said, unable to restrain myself, "the last time you caught the Avatar, an entire fortress allowed him to escape."

Zhao glanced over his shoulder to leer in my direction.

"An _entire_ fortress let the Avatar escape, along with a masked man," I continued irritably, "and you underestimated him. What makes you think that an entire armada can keep him locked up like a bag of gold?"

Zuko never minded my remark. His eyes fell upon the curved broadswords that were mantled on the wall—the same used by the Blue Spirit when he freed the Avatar on the day that I mentioned. Zhao took one off the wall. I glanced at Zuko furtively, whose eyes dilated and his mouth fell open, clearly understanding the danger he was in. Zuko recovered his momentary shock to a look of apathy. Zhao practiced with the sword that he removed from the wall.

"I," began Zhao, "didn't know that you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko."

"I'm not," lied Zuko. "They're antiques: just decorative."

Zhao nodded, though I could tell that he didn't believe him.

"Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"

"Just rumors," answered Iroh. "I don't think that he is real."

"Oh," chuckled Zhao dangerously, "he's real. He's a criminal, an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling that justice will catch up with him soon."

Zhao turned to General Iroh and handed him the broadsword.

"General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands, if you should change your mind."

And just when I thought this little rendezvous was over, Zhao halted in mid-step and turned to me a wide smile.

"The same goes for you, Commander." His hand grabbed one of mine and he kissed my knuckles with such delicacy that I didn't think him capable. He looked up from my hand to smirk at Zuko.

"Thank you, Admiral," I said, pulling my hand away, "but I don't like the reason why you're preparing a siege on the north. Why would I join you?"

"Is it so bad to consider joining my crew, Mura?" he asked curiously.

"I'd rather be Zuko's dog than your soldier."

"Mura…" Iroh chastised openly; however, the damage was done. Zhao simply walked out of the room without another word. As the door closed, Iroh turned to me.

"Mura, you really shouldn't be so rude to officials who have the ability to _arrest_ you," he reprimanded. "I think it is very inappropriate to how he treats you, but the Fire Nation has certain customs—"

"I'm not going to let some hot-tempered guy call me a dog just so that he can turn around and recruit me for a genocide mission," I said coldly.

Zuko had no words for my actions. He was upset about the disbandment of his ship. For all I knew, he was glad that I said what I said, even if it would bite me in the butt later in life.

With no crew to supervise, Iroh suggested that we go for a walk. Feeling quite in need of a shift in scenery, I accepted his offer. We weren't about to leave Zuko alone in a heap of moodiness, so we both gave our efforts to persuade him to get out of his room. Iroh leaned in.

"The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."

"Good riddance to those traitors," Zuko snapped.

"It's a lovely night for a walk. Why don't you join me? It would clear your head." Iroh's smile faded as Zuko stayed quiet. "Or, just stay in your room and sit in the dark…Whatever makes you happy."

Iroh turned to me, shaking his head sadly. He walked out of the room. I stood beside Zuko, who looked up at me with a softened expression.

"They wouldn't have had a chance to refuse even if they wanted to stay," I said gently.

"You stayed." Zuko muttered.

"I stayed because Zhao _let_ me stay. He can always turn me in for prize money," I retorted with a smile. "You could too, if you wanted."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you need to know that I _am _here. We're all you've got now," I said simply. "And your uncle and I are both determined to help you however we can to get you the Avatar. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes," said Zuko, though his voice was hard.

"You know that we care, right?"

"_Yes._" Zuko said seriously.

"Well," I muttered, "as…long as you know. Anyway, I shouldn't be gone long. Don't stay too mad, hm?" I leaned forward to kiss him; he turned away.

"Just go on your walk. I'll be here when you get back," Zuko said coldly.

"Well," I shrugged dejectedly, "all right. You really should get some sleep. We have quite a way to go if you want to get to the North Pole before Zhao. We _will _get there before Zhao."

Zuko glanced at me momentarily. His face softened.

Knowing that he actually heard me this time, I smiled at him then I turned to leave his cabin. Iroh and I left the ship at the same time, walking down road casually. Iroh hummed _"Four Seasons"_.

Then, when we were about a mile away, a thunderous explosion erupted behind us.

"ZUKO!"

I'm not sure who screamed loudest, Iroh or me, but when we turned to see where it came from, the huge explosion was the ship bursting into a bonfire. Iroh and I hurled our feet as fast as we could make them.

"Zuko!" I cried out into the flames, "ZUKO! NO!"

The plank from the boat to the shore had been destroyed. I tried to climb into the water to get closer, to see if I could sense any human life form, but Iroh's hands grabbed my arms to stop me.

"Zuko! He's in there! I have to get him!" I heard myself scream, and my tears fell faster than rain. "I have to save him!"

Iroh's hands were thrown away from me, and the familiar torrent of power coursed through me like a heavy adrenaline rush.

"AAAAAH!"

My shrieks were louder than what my mind was saying. It was the most powerful that I had ever felt, and the most destructive anger that I had ever experienced. I rose from the ground that day, levitating in fury…and grief. The broken boat that had been blasted into splinters of wood and metal rose from the ocean, and the fire expelled feverishly. The trees blew from the wind that blasted from me.

And then I blacked out.

The next thing that I remembered, I was in a dark room, and General Iroh was beside me, holding my hand in his. He wasn't crying, though he looked sad. I wondered what made him look so somber, and then I remembered why I was in a room that I didn't remember.

"Mura…Mura, please, don't speak," Iroh said softly.

I felt my stomach churn unpleasantly, as if someone had gutted me a knife, and all I could do was gasp for air and hope for the best. I turned away from Iroh to hide my pain, but it was obvious in appearance; and my turmoil was evident as my silent tears became wails of grief. Iroh didn't try to stop me. He simply rose from his seat by my bed in the infirmary, and closed the door.

I heard it click.

_I'll be here when you get back._


	31. I Thought I Lost You

A/N: I want to thank 02 and JustBeYou for their reviews. More to come

The Highest Bidder

_The Author's Note_

I've incorporated this within Chapter Thirty-One so that I can answer possible questions and clarify anything that would make the story more understandable, though I think the readers do understand that's going on. However, just so there is no confusion, I'll outlay this little…_questionnaire_…as sort of like an interview. It'll all be related to the story; there will be no "How did you come up with character?" questions or "What is your favorite scene so far?" questions; it's ALL related to the plot and the characters. Relationships, spirits, powers, and everything in-between will explained. If you already grasp the whole story and there are no blur lines, please by my guest and skip all this until you get to the chapter headline in this document. In your review of this chapter, I would like your opinion on your favorite episodes, characters, and…anything else that you can think of that would make your reading experience more fun. You know, like if you want smut scenes or more romance moments, tell me. Or maybe there isn't enough action and you want Mura or even Zuko to kick more butt, let me know. Anything.

All right, here we go.

In _The Highest Bidder_, Mura's ability is obviously telekinesis. What exactly are her limits, other than what she told us in the very beginning?

Mura Lynn has all this power that she's capable of possessing—she can do telepathy, move people with her mind, and all the powers that telekinetics like Jean Gray from _X-Men_ can do, but she's only sixteen and her mind is only so powerful as she can afford. She _can_ use telepathy, but that would mean she'd have to use invade somebody's thoughts, and plus, it's just more work on her part. Mura can usually tell if somebody's lying to her anyway, so reading somebody's mind would be a bit overkill and ruin some of the plots that are already staged in Avatar: Last Airbender.

How would you describe Mura's personality?

Well, she's obviously sarcastic; she teases Zuko quite a bit. She knows that she's very pretty, what with the blonde hair and the amber eyes; but at the same time, she really doesn't think about herself as a vain person would do. Mura knows, too, that she has all this power; but she doesn't really gloat about it in her testimony to the public. She knows that she has many weaknesses. Mura is very spiritual; she's almost like a cross between Iroh—who enjoys the simple things in life—and Aang, who knows that some people just really need to have fun. Mura respects the other nations, and she recognizes that her own homeland is actually a terror to the other four; she also has some respect for the other bending elements. Mura is quite an animal lover; you know, she loves all animals, and they love her back. But she isn't the nicest person in the world; she's got a nasty temper. She's really only aggravated by those who insult her loved ones, which mainly is Zuko and Iroh. Mura also is quite charming and a bit cunning, and she has a bit of a provocative streak because sometimes she irritates Zuko just to see him angry. That's the bit of Mura that seems to be where her Fire Nation blood comes from, but she's a little bit of every nation.

Mura and Zuko form a romance in _The Highest Bidder._ Could you shed some light on that for the readers?

Mura and Zuko are both Fire Nation, and they were actually childhood friends; however, Mura was closer to Azula, which automatically splits them apart. It takes about seven months for Zuko to realize that Mura _is_ a fugitive, but her reason for trying to steal from Fire Lord Ozai is actually justifiable. Zuko and Mura form this sort of hate/love relationship. They're in command of the ship, so it's sort of a forbidden romance since they really can't take control of a situation without worrying for other. But Mura insists that Zuko and she should start something, and after a while, he sort of just gives in. Even though Zuko and Mura argue quite a bit, and they actually fight some in the story; they sort of just apologize afterward and get along. The romance actually sort of lifted off when Iroh told Mura that Zuko actually liked her, even though he snaps at her a lot. So they start "dating", but nothing really happens as far as going out to eat or dancing in a town square. They sort of just sit around on the boat and when the Avatar comes, _that's_ their date. But you actually do find out that Mura really _does_ love Zuko. I mean, in the last chapter, she absolutely loses it when she found out that Zuko wasn't there; he had been blown up, you know.

Speaking of losing it: when Mura does lose control of her temper, or she feels that overwhelming grief when she saw that Zuko's ship was blown up, it seems that when she does feel such devastation, she goes into this state that's like the Avatar State. It's got to do with that spirit that lives in her, right? Could you explain that?

I can, I can. Mura has a spiritual connection, like the Avatar, to the Spirit World, but she isn't a second Avatar. Because she's capable of telekinesis, which is mind-over-matter, this gives her a link to Shen Si Ling, who resides in the Spirit World. Mura's connection to Shen Si Ling sort of gives her an insight to the other spirits; that's why she wouldn't open the door in the Fire Temple when Roku was inside.

Shen Si Ling is not exactly a casual spirit; she feels emotions and has thoughts. Whenever Mura becomes so angry, Shen Si Ling sort of 'takes over' Mura's mind and body. It's the responsibility of a telekinetic to keep the mind pure so she won't harm anybody of spite. In order to keep Mura's soul pure—free from corruption—Shen Si Ling sort of 'swims' into Mura's spirit and 'becomes' Mura. When Mura is angry, or feeling vengeful, Shen Si Ling takes on the form of sort of like a demon vampire. When Mura becomes self-righteous or protective, such as saving her crew members from a storm or fighting off enemies, Shen Si Ling takes the form of an elegant angel. She only shows for a second in Mura; the people could see translucent wings on Mura's back or a flash of red or white eyes in Mura's face. When Shen Si Ling takes control, Mura absorbs all the knowledge from Shen Si Ling, which gives her the abilities to concentrate on several people at one time; or be able to bend water and earth as long as she's in full contact. It's very much like the Avatar State, but not so much on a broad level.

In the beginning of the story, it's told in third person; and the readers start out with the knowledge that Mura is this terrible traitor who followed Azula every step of the way. But in the story that follows in Mura's view, it's like she's only loyal to Zuko and the balance of the world, and actually hates Azula. What can you say about that?

Well, for one, the introduction is actually told by Mura's district attorney. She's facing these charges, and the DA has told the public that Mura is this thief, liar, and overall terrible person who will tell a bogus story. Mura tells her side of the story, which is the actual truth. The lawyer that has been appointed to her obviously doesn't seem to think that she's a hero. Mura puts the audience straight by saying that she was never loyal to Azula in the first place.

When Mura is testifying, she sometimes addresses the public. Who exactly is listening to her testimony?

Mura is standing trial a few days after Sozin's Comet and the coronation of Fire Lord Zuko. She's sort of like on a huge stage in front of most of the people that are introduced in the books as the Gaang reaches the Fire Palace. It includes Fire Lord Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, members of the White Lotus, Team Avatar, and pretty much everyone that you can think of who hasn't died. Azula is actually not present during the trial; she's in like a rehab center.

Several times, Mura eludes to a vicious crime that she caused Azula. What exactly does she mean, if Azula is actually alive?

Well, I won't tell you right now, but it's pretty close to the last Agni-Kai between Zuko and Azula. That's when it happens.

What exactly is the attraction between Zhao and Mura? It seems that he sort of likes her in a…well, perverted…sort of way.

Admiral Zhao is only interested in Mura because she's got this incredible power; and he wants to use it against the world and the Avatar. He is attracted to her because she's incredibly intelligent when she wants to be, and he wants her loyalty, but she belongs to Prince Zuko. The moments during the story where he expresses physical attraction is actually sincere: Mura _is_ a very beautiful woman. He does his little 'kissy kissy on the hand' and taunts her only in front of Zuko because Zhao knows that Zuko and Mura are actually together. You know, he just does it to make him mad.

Although Mura destroyed Kyoshi Island, and she intimidates people, would you consider Mura to be a 'villain' like Zhao, or a good guy like Aang?

Mura isn't exactly a bad person; she has morals like any other person in the Gaang. She isn't really like a guru goodie goodie, though, because she _does_ have somewhat of a morbid side. She does enjoy intimidating soldiers, but it's really just a little game. The main bit where you can tell that she can be a villain is when she actually fights Sokka and Katara, or when she takes down a whole village with her powers; though, the Kyoshi Island thing was really out of irritation for Zuko. So Mura can be a bad guy, but she'd rather antagonize than fight.

Out of all the characters in Avatar, who would you say is most comparable to Mura?

General Iroh and Mura are quite alike. They enjoy music night, and they take walks. She's the daughter that Iroh never had, and Iroh's sort of like a father to Mura. They both respect the Four Nations and the four elements because they understand that inbalance can destroy each person from the inside. Mura and Iroh sort of get along so well because he actually admires her abilities; and he doesn't call her a witch either. Mura also gets along well with Iroh especially during music night; she sort of developed this beautiful alto voice and can dance to _Four Seasons. _She's talented, but she's modest about it.

Well, that's the end of the interview. I hope I cleared up a few things, or perhaps gave you further insight. Anyway, here's Chapter Thirty One.

Chapter Thirty-One: I Thought I Lost You

I thought it would be easy to accept the death of a loved one, sort of like I assumed that my parents were dead. As it turned out, I felt lost without Prince Zuko; and it didn't help matters when Iroh came to me with Zhao's request to see the two of us for tea. Iroh talked to me for a few hours, told me that our loved ones never truly leave us—that they still were around. I considered his words with only an ounce of open-mindedness. When I didn't respond, Iroh closed the door behind him and sat down in front of me with a soft gaze. He looked sad; his eyes were glazed with watery tears. I looked down at my hands, sitting on a rug beside my bed. Even the metal floor beneath me looked comfortable. Iroh knelt down in front of me and took my weak hands into his.

I found my pain unbearable, and I closed my eyes to try to cast it aside. Hot tears fell down my cheeks. I opened my mouth to speak, but I hesitated to say what I wanted to say. Iroh patted my hand sincerely. When he spoke, his voice was fatherly and gentle.

"I know your pain. I have felt it before, when my son was killed in the war. You feel that you could have done more, and you tell yourself that if you could reverse the past, then everything will be all right again. But sometimes, it's better to embrace the past and start anew."

"How can you say that?" I uttered tearfully. "How can you say that without crying like me? How are you able to be so calm when he's gone…?"

"Because I'm not."

Iroh's hands left me, and another held mine. Shocked, I looked up in surprise to see a Fire Nation soldier squatting in front of me, a face shield staring back at me. A wave of fury passed through me, and I pushed the soldier away from me. Iroh grabbed me to stop me.

I rose to my feet.

"How dare you say such a thing to me," I said angrily. I gestured in the air, and the soldier slammed hard against the wall, grunting in pain. "How dare you impersonate—Wait, what?"

_Because I'm not._

I fingered the air, and the soldier's body answered my beck and call. He floated toward me, feet hovering a few inches in the air. I set him down on the ground. The soldier pulled up his face shield.

"Mura."

"It can't be," I whispered.

The face of the Fire Nation prince was bruised and cut, but when I stared into the eyes of the man for a few moments; and I located the familiar scar on his left eye, I was immediately overcome in relief.

Zuko startled when I threw my arms around him, embracing him tightly. He patted my back quietly.

"I thought I lost you…"

"Uncle told me what happened," said Zuko, pulling me away lightly. "I—_Ugh!_"

"Mura," Iroh gasped, surprised.

I smacked Zuko across the head. He fell to the floor, setting his helmet straight.

"_How could you not tell me that you were alive?_" I said angrily.

"Shh," Iroh calmed me down by pushing me gently onto the bed. "You must be quiet. Zhao doesn't know that Zuko survived. We have to keep him secret. And you have to act like Zuko is still dead or else he'll get suspicious."

I frowned.

"What exactly are you going to do, Zuko?" I said, rising to my feet. "Sneak in while the Water Tribe is fighting off Zhao?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do." Zuko retorted. "But in order for me to even do that, you have to act like nothing has happened. If you're as good of a liar that you are, you'll pull it off without any trouble. Just keep your temper under control…"

Iroh pushed along Zuko.

"Hurry, you have to board Zhao's ship before he gets suspicious. Mura, we have to meet Zhao for tea. He's going to talk to the both of us. Stay calm," he warned me. "The last thing we need is for you to blow up Zhao's ship."

"_Fine._"

I was happy to see that Zuko was alive, but I half-expected that Zhao was behind the attack. Screw it; I believed that Zhao was behind the entire thing. After all, there was no such thing as a coincidence, especially with the Fire Nation.


	32. Under the Radar

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Thirty-Two: Under the Radar

Admiral Zhao said nothing when Iroh and I entered his quarters. He glanced at us with a small look in his eyes, as if to convey some kind of forceful sympathy, but that was all I saw on his face. Even as I tried to keep myself calm and collected, all I thought about was the possibility of Zhao's involvement with Zuko's…_accident._ My contorted feelings of anger might have passed for inner turmoil since Zhao didn't bother to taunt me. I probably looked as devastated on the outside as I felt on the inside, though it was highly probable that he mistook my revulsion for despair. Iroh's hand on my back pulled me through the room, and he sat me down at a low table where I sat on my knees, staring at the dragon-spout tea pot in front of me. Admiral Zhao said a few courteous words to Iroh, who in return said a few things in the same tone, the pair of them sat down on either side of me.

I frowned deeply as Zhao sat beside me. The hairs on my neck stood on end; and my skin crawled as he set a hand on my clenched fists.

"I heard what happened," said Zhao. "My soldiers saw how upset you were. I didn't know that you felt so much for the boy."

I stayed quiet. Zhao poured three cups of tea and he slid one to me gently.

He turned to Iroh.

"I am devastated to hear about Prince Zuko," he said cheekily, "_just _devastated."

"I bet you are," I muttered, taking my cup of tea in my hand.

He glanced at me. It was obvious I still felt contempt for the man; Zuko's 'death' would have only made me hate him even more. And his attempt on Prince Zuko's life had made me realize just how empty and sad that Zhao really was inside. Zhao took my statement as a retort of a broken heart, for he didn't backlash like he would have if it was normal circumstance. It was pretty evident to me that he really didn't care whether Zuko was dead or alive—just as long that I was there and Zuko was not.

Iroh didn't chastise me for speaking my mind, In fact, he gave me a sad look, and his own face became pained.

"The Fire Lord will not be pleased when he learns who was responsible," said Iroh, meeting Zhao's eyes.

The Admiral frowned slightly, and I automatically knew that he really was behind it.

"You know who…was behind the attack?"

"Yes," said Iroh. He slammed his hand on the table. "Pirates. We had a run in with them a while back. They wanted revenge."

I saw Zhao's mouth upturn from a frown into a smile. He lost his snide smirk when he turned to me. He sipped his tea and watched me carefully. I stared at him. I definitely could tell that he was behind it. His mind frazzled as I stared back at him; for a moment, he blinked with a hesitant air then he seemed to compose himself.

"You must be very sad, Mura," he said softly. "You haven't said five words to me."

"It's _Commander_, Mura," I corrected him coldly. "Whether or not Prince Zuko is dead, I'm still an officer, Admiral."

He seemed a bit taken by surprise.

"Well, I see that you've hardened from this tragedy," Zhao replied with approval. "You really are a brave girl."

"I'm a lot braver than you think…"

"Commander Mura, please; I don't mean to offend you. But you are in a sticky bind, now that your superior officer has passed away. There are other ways of redeeming Prince Zuko. You could reconsider and join my armada. Fight with me and regain your honor."

"There is no honor in what you do."

I lowered my gaze to drink the rest of my tea. Iroh lowered my hand to the table.

"Mura," he said compassionately, "we all must handle the burden. You have no other choice…"

Zhao took up a sudden patient tone as well, which only made my stomach writhe in disgust.

"Commander," he said in a sickly, understanding tone, "you truly are a very loyal soldier; it would be an honor for me if you stood by my side. It's time for you to see a victory, instead of a stalemate. If it helps to ease your mind, I merely want you to witness a grand feat."

"What are you saying, Admiral?" I said, looking at him resentfully. "You want me to simply stand by and do nothing?"

"Well," said Zhao with a shrug, "it appears that your loyalty doesn't go to the highest bidder. I apparently have to earn it, and I haven't. So how about giving a soldier a chance?"

In order to keep my place on his ship to see Zuko, I took his outstretched hand and shook on the deal. He turned to Iroh,

"Have you reconsidered my offer as well?"

"Yes," said Iroh, bowing. "I accept. It will be an honor to serve as your general." Iroh raised his glass in a toast. "To the Fire Nation."

Zhao raised his,

"To victory!"

Zhao turned to me expectantly; Iroh met my eyes imploringly. I raised my glass,

"To the Fire Lord…"

Iroh and Zhao drank from their cups. I set mine down.

After a second cup of tea, Iroh excused the both of us, and we left the Admiral's cabin to stroll down a corridor. When we were out of earshot, I turned to Iroh.

"This is so wrong."

"I know, my dear, but what you did was best for Prince Zuko and yourself," he assured me. "As long as Zhao believes that you are giving him a chance to earn your respect, you have nothing to worry about. He is trying to lure you in to be his lethal weapon."

"There is nothing about him that I like," I replied. "I know he was lying to me. And you," I added.

"I know that Zhao tried to kill my nephew," Iroh said patiently. "I expected that he would think something was wrong if I told you that I knew. It's hard for you to hide your emotions when you feel this angry. It would have been worse if you thought Zuko was dead, which is why I brought him inside the room."

"I guess that you know me better than I do myself," I muttered.

"Come on, Mura. I think you and I need a cup of tea by ourselves. It's much too tense around him." He gave me a small smile.

As we walked down the corridor, a fellow Fire Nation soldier approached us. I only knew who he was when his hand touched the black belt around my waist. Iroh stopped beside him. Iroh spoke in small whisper,

"Our plan is working perfectly. Zhao doesn't suspect a thing."

Zuko removed his guard mask.

"You didn't have to do this."

"No nephew of mine is going to stow away on a ship without some backup."

"Thank you, Uncle."

A sound was made around the corner. Zuko replaced his mask.

"Someone's coming," Iroh murmured. "Stay hidden until we get to the North Pole and the Avatar will be yours. Good luck."

Iroh walked ahead. I looked at Zuko momentarily, wondering when the next time I would see him would be. I had lost him once. I didn't want to lose him again. I opened my mouth to tell him that I cared about him, but he said through his mask,

"You don't have to say it…"

I hesitated to leave him. Zuko raised his hand to my face and touched my cheek.

"If you die, I swear I'll kill you," I muttered, hearing my voice crack. I smiled at him. And in a minute, he was walking down the corridor in the opposite direction. Iroh took my hand and led me out onto the main deck of the large Fire Nation Navy ship. It was a beautiful structure, though it would have looked much more gran if it wasn't heading a course to the North Pole to create genocide.

The ship was cut off from the harbor, and the ship headed northward.

I leaned over the railing and saw dozens of Fire Navy ships firing up their engines to launch a final assault on the Northern Water Tribe. Iroh set a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head disappointedly.

"This is so wrong," I muttered.

"There's not much you can do now, Mura."

"The spirits won't like this at all," I retorted.

"Hopefully, _your_ spirit won't try to do anything through you," Iroh warned. "Don't lose your temper, or your connection between Shen Si Ling and your own mental awareness will cross paths. You won't be able to control what you do. And Shen Si Ling is a vengeful spirit. Keep a level head and stay under Zhao's radar."


	33. Powerful and Helpless

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Thirty-Three: Powerful and Helpless

As Zhao's armada crossed the borders from the Earth Kingdom waters into the icy waters of the North Pole, I could tell by the fall of the temperature and the new landscape of icebergs that we were approaching the unfortunate target with an hour or two. It was mid-afternoon, and even after I had 'joined' Zhao's crew at day break, my resentment hadn't been disbarred. Iroh and I had our cup of tea, but it didn't calm me like I hoped it would. As iceberg after iceberg passed us, I freshly recollected about the mission, and kept repeating to myself in my head,

_This is wrong. This is so very wrong._

To take out an entire civilization was a barbaric plan. I was letting Zhao practically walk toward the Water Tribe without so much of fight. My stomach turned with incredible hatred for what I was allowing. I had always had spiritual balance; each nation depended on the other for a natural balance. No more Waterbenders would upset the established order; and even if it didn't, Waterbenders were signs of compassion and trust. Just as I admired the powers of fire, I also respected the soothing and healing that a Waterbender could do.

Fire is a destructive element, but for those who understand its nature, it isn't a curse. It breathes, grows, and can spread; but it's energy and life. It is life that 'burns' inside all of us. However, if you treat fire like Zhao, the only way anybody knows what the Fire Nation can do is by burning down a forest or—I don't know—sending an entire fleet to attack the Northern Water Tribe.

I looked up at the sky, and even the clouds were slowly disappearing behind the large, puffing smoke that was made by the engine stacks. I frowned at such a grizzly sight, and was once more reminded that the only thing that the Fire Nation knew how to do was to destroy lives.

I think the only way that I was identified as a Fire Nation girl was the fact that I wore their colors. Well, that, and I sported the hot temper…But that's not the case…

"You should really smile more," said Zhao, coming up from behind me.

"Oh, I'm jumping up and down with excitement over here," I said glumly, still staring up at the sky.

"Your sarcasm is getting old, Mura."

"I wasn't being sarcastic," I retorted, looking at him. "I'm all kinds of giddy."

"The Fire Nation knows no bounds," said Zhao, as if he were giving a marvelous lecture. "We simply do what we're told by our great leader, and when we do our duties, we are rewarded for our loyalty. Of course, you wouldn't know of such greatness. You spent the first years of your life on a deserted island. You must have craved companionship."

"The only thing I _craved_," I said, stepping a few inches away from him, "were more trees that bore lemon coconuts in the spring time. And the island wasn't a bad place. It was peaceful and full of life."

"You must think that your country is cruel to attack a nation for power."

"Yep," I said apathetically.

"Well, don't think of it that way. Think of it as a new beginning."

I frowned at him.

"It's not a new beginning if lives are on the line," I retorted. "You will kill thousands, and for what? Just to put a flag in the ice and claim it for a Fire Lord who lets others fight his battles—"

Zhao grabbed my shoulders and turned me to him forcefully; he shocked me by pulling me toward him, his face only inches from mine,

"You need to learn respect, Mura. The Fire Lord is a masterful leader; he employs us to do what must be done, and when our mission is completed, history will be rewritten. The ends justify the means. You talk as if you are wiser beyond your years; you're not. You're sixteen, and you're just as ignorant and naïve as Prince Zuko." He released me and straightened. "I _will_ return to the Fire Lord after this is finished; and you _will_ come with me. Then you can tell the Fire Lord just what you think of him."

I said nothing in reply. What could I have said? We stood in silence. General Iroh appeared behind us. I looked at him, feeling less than significant.

"Truly," said Zhao, now calm, "this will be one for the history books, General Iroh. Just think, centuries from now, people will study the great Admiral Zhao who destroyed the last Water Tribe civilization. You're lucky you're here to see it."

"Be careful what you wish for, Admiral," said Iroh. "History is not always kind to its subjects."

"I suppose you speak from experience? But rest assured, this will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba Sing Se."

"I hope not, for your sake."

"Tell the Captains to prepare for first strike."

As Iroh left us, Zhao turned to me.

"You know," he said thoughtfully, "I would think that since your life is also on the line, you would plead for me to let you go, or something to that nature. I mean, that's what you did when you were faced with the Fire Lord the last time. You pleaded for your failure to be excused, and you pleaded for your father's dismissal. Have you grown up since then, or are you the same shrew who couldn't do what she was told?"

"I really haven't changed," I said, stepping toward him. "I was twelve, and I was frightened that Fire Lord Ozai would kill my father and me. I would do the same here, Admiral, but, you know…I'm just not afraid of you."

He didn't say anything after that.

We came into sight of the Northern Water Tribe's icy gates. They were beautiful, and I lamented the idea that the city was going to be annihilated. The first ship of the armada catapulted a massive fireball toward the imperial city; it struck directly into the center of the water symbol in the center of a wall, blowing a destructive hole through it. Ice and debris fell from the large towers.

I winced at the impact. Iroh came to stand beside me.

The siege of the north had begun.

A second fireball flew through the air toward the city. It landed, filling the canal with smoke, water, and fire. From above us, snow and soot mixed together, and ash fell from the sky. I sighed sadly, watching the entire place become marked by the Fire Nation. A third fireball launched from the trebuchet of a ship much further away from us, and it shattered a part of the city wall.

From over the icy towers, I saw the large, flying bison; and the Avatar was mounted upon it. A small tingle of excitement and relief swept through me. During the armada's assault on the Water Tribe, the Avatar took out a dozen ships, but there were far too many. For once, I felt bad for him.

He retreated back over the wall. On the water, small Water Tribe fleets were extinguished a ship at a time. Their efforts were noble, but still: we outnumbered them about a hundred to one. I glanced at the sky, hoping for some backup to appear. Perhaps I was hoping that the Ocean and Moon Spirits would launch a furious attack on the Fire Nation, considering that there was a large, full moon glowing above us.

Iroh must have followed my gaze, for he stepped beside Zhao, and said,

"It's almost twilight, Admiral. As your military consultant, I must advise you to halt your attack. The Waterbenders draw their power from the moon and it is nearly full tonight. You should wait and resume the attack at daybreak."

"Or," I said in contempt, "perhaps since Admiral Zhao has the full confidence in his Fire Nazi ships, they should continue the bombardment despite the full moon."

Iroh sighed despairingly, but Zhao merely gave me an amused smirk before turning to his general.

"Oh, I'm well aware of the moon problem, and I'm working on a solution. But for now, daybreak it is."

The front rank of the Fire Navy ships dropped anchor for the night.

Iroh pulled me away from the main deck as we walked down a corridor.

"You shouldn't antagonize him," said Iroh in dismay.

"Well, you shouldn't have advised him to stop the attack. When the sun rises, the Waterbenders will have no way of protecting themselves," I retorted scornfully, tearing my arm away from him. "You know as well as I do that Zhao doesn't just want to take this city. He wants to kill them all. Do you want that on your head? What's _wrong_ with you?"

"Lower your voice, Mura," said Iroh gently.

"I don't want to lower my voice—I'm angry!" I said loudly.

"I know you are, but you can't let him know that it bothers you so much."

"Well, he already knows," I said hotly.

Zuko gestured for silence. We went through a door. Zuko was out of uniform and entirely dressed in plain, gray clothes. He was preparing a canoe to be lowered into the water when we entered. Iroh closed the door behind him. Zuko straightened and looked at the both of us.

"What are you—?" I stopped myself from asking the obvious. "You're going _now_?"

Zuko nodded slowly.

"It's now or never."

"Then I'm coming with you—"

"No."

He pushed my shoulder to make his point, to stop me from coming any closer to the boat. He apparently saw the hurt on my face, for a pained expression crossed his bruised features.

"You can't come with me. Zhao will know something's up. You must stay here."

"But I can't lose you again. What if you die out there? What if you're spotted?"

Zuko shook his head to deter my negative thoughts.

He made an effort to smile.

"You talk too much."

I sighed, obviously in defeat. Iroh approached Zuko sadly.

"If you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net or he will squeeze the tiniest hole and escape."

"I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle."

"I'm sorry. I just nag you because, well, ever since I lost my son…"

"Uncle, you don't have to say it."

"I think of you as my own."

Zuko gave him a look of genuine concern and understanding.

"I know, Uncle." He bowed and saluted him with his arm over his chest. "We'll meet again."

Iroh rushed forward and gave him a bear hug.

"…After I have the Avatar."

Iroh stepped back. I rushed forward as well, unable to resist, and embraced him as well.

"Don't be gone long."

Zuko kissed me briefly on the cheek, and stepped away from me. Iroh placed a hand on my shoulder for me to step away from the canoe. We sadly watched him start to lower it in the water.

"Remember your Breath of fire," said Iroh. "It could save your life out there!"

"I will."

"And put your hood up, keep your ears warm!"

Zuko called back,

"I'll be fine!"

I smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around General Iroh's shoulder. We walked up to the main deck.

Night fell, and the armada didn't attack, just as Iroh had advised. Then hours later, the sun slowly rose over the horizon. Iroh and I stood still behind Zhao, who waited patiently for the sun to come out of hiding and rise with the Firebenders.

"It's daybreak at last," he sighed. "Let's write history."

I had never felt that it was possible to be powerful and helpless at the same time, but I did while I watched the Fire Nation armada catapult fire ball after fire ball into the city walls, unable to do anything about it without letting Shen Si Ling take over my mind and body.

The ships headed for the gates. The ship I stood on approached first. The bowsprit dropped, and it sliced open the Water City's main wall. The Fire Nation troops entered the city.

"The Water Tribe can try to resist the inevitable, but their city will fall today," Zhao announced proudly, a large smile on his face.


	34. The Spirits' Revenge

The Highest Bidder

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Spirits' Revenge

As the assault continued, I felt my ability to simply accept the war start to dwindle. Even though I personally detested the event, I had a hunch that I wasn't the one who trying to stop the armada. General Iroh told me that Shen Si Ling was the bridge between pure mentality and a spirit possession; it was understood then that the spirit was seeing what I was seeing. I was convinced that Shen Si Ling was using me as portal, sort of like a representative. My tolerance for the annihilation of the Water Tribe was waning, though I had a hunch that Shen Si Ling _wanted_ me to throw all my patience out the door so that she could set the balance. By setting the balance, I mean turning into a world judge and killing Zhao. Or maybe that's what _I _wanted to do. Whether or not the Mind Spirit wanted to take control of me and make me her hand, I fought it.

During my journey with Iroh, he made me realize that my temper was not exactly what I thought it was. Yes, I have a nasty temper, but I actually can tolerate quite a few things before I blow up. But Iroh made me realize that I was the eyes of Shen Si Ling. It was more complicated than I had believed it to be; and even though this just added to the 'wow' factor about my powers, I wished on another level that I had never been touched with such a blessing. I fought a spirit who knew the natural order of right and wrong, and I fought her for the wrong reason: to save my own ass.

Four massive fireballs arced over the Water City walls and into the city. Daybreak had slashed the chances of the Waterbenders' survival in half. The outer walls were breached by a second team of Fire Navy ships, and more fireballs were launched deep into the occupied portions of the city. Infantrymen covered from head to toe in armor exited the ships and charged inside the walls of the city, assaulting each warrior on sight, and chasing women and children into the center. Fire Nation war rhinos crawled out of the hatch of the ships and scaled the land. A rank of heavy, black Fire Nation tanks barreled through the snow, firing as they advanced to the secondary wall. Several fired massive grappling hooks into the secondary wall; they penetrated the other side and the Waterbenders on the defense scattered as the tanks reeled back their hooks and pulled the wall of ice down. Fireballs from the ships behind us shattered several pieces of the rest of the secondary line of defense, sending Water Tribe warriors and Waterbenders into a heap of snow and in the line of fire. The citizens scattered like frightened little ants to get out of the way as the Fire Nations soldiers marched on without delay.

I turned away, feeling the gut-wrenching tear in my stomach. By this time, I knew that I was fighting a greater power. My mind seared from an irritating pain that had started after the secondary wall had been torn down. Iroh, who had been standing beside me, held my arms as I turned; he already knew what I was facing—and who I was trying to keep away—his eyes met mine.

Iroh whispered encouraging words of counsel. He set me against the railing, where I bent over them, feeling as sick as a dog.

Zhao took notice.

"You seem to be coming down with something," said Zhao uncaringly.

"She's battling more than just a hot temper, Admiral," said Iroh softly. He stepped away from me, and continued. "I don't need to remind you that we have a time limit. If we don't defeat the Water Tribe before the full moon rises, they will be undefeatable.

Zhao smiled evilly.

"I assure you that I have everything under control. I intend to remove the moon as a factor."

"Remove the moon?" Iroh said incredulously. "_How?_"

I looked at Zhao disgracefully,

"You make me sick."

He looked at me nonchalantly.

"Mura, maybe you should lie down. This is a lot to take in for such a young girl."

I scoffed and straightened.

"'_Young girl'?"_

Before I could finish, a door opened behind us, and a Fire Nation soldier wearing an outdated uniform appeared. He threw off his helmet. He wore Water Tribe warrior make-up, and had extremely blue eyes.

"Admiral Choi!" he said, pronouncing the Admiral's name wrong, "Prepare to meet your fate!"

It was actually quite a pathetic assassination attempt; it would have been more effective if he hadn't said anything. However, I had to give him small effort as he charged at Zhao with the long spear in his hand. Zhao casually threw him overboard. The boy screamed and splashed in the water. Iroh looked over the railing, shook his head, and turned back to Zhao.

I was taken off guard. I didn't see any need to continue my point, so Zhao continued as the boy and I hadn't interrupted.

"As I was saying…" said Zhao. "Years ago, I stumbled upon a great and powerful secret…the identity of the Moon Spirit's mortal form."

"_What?_" Iroh gasped, shocked.

I shook my head, knowing _exactly_ where he was going with this. All this talk about destroying the Water Tribe, solving a 'moon problem'. And I hated his plan.

"I was a young Lieutenant serving under General Shu in the Earth Kingdom," continued Zhao. "I discovered a hidden library, underground in fact. I tore through scroll after scroll. One of them contained a detailed illustration and the words 'moon' and 'ocean'. I knew then that these spirits could be found—and killed. And that it was destiny to do so."

"The spirits are not to be trifled with!" Iroh said angrily.

"Yes, yes," Zhao patronized, "I know that you fear the Spirits, Iroh. I've heard rumors about your journey into the Spirit World. But the Ocean and Moon gave up their immortality to become a part of our world. And now they will face the consequences."

"NO!" I yelled furiously.

Zhao and Iroh turned to me.

"This is wrong!" I said, leaning against the railing. As I spoke, I started to feel better physically. "You can't do this to the Spirits—we all rely on the balance. You can't just kill any spirit whenever things don't go your way. In case you haven't noticed, Zhao, you don't _need_ to kill anyone: your Firebending troops are doing it for you!"

"Well, well, well," said Zhao, "you're starting to sound like General Iroh."

"I'm not just blowing air out of my mouth," I retorted. "The Fire Nation is at an advantage right now; there's no need to kill anyone—or any being."

"I know that you're quite spiritual, and it's admirable, but I'm afraid that you have no say in this matter." Zhao said with finality.

I felt a surge in my gut; it was like a force was trying to climb its way up my stomach and spill out of my mouth. I fought it, but it hurt my head all the same time. Iroh turned to Zhao,

"Commander Mura is more spiritual. She is touched with the spirit of the mind, Shen Si Ling. The spirit knows what's happening. You are angering the spirit, Admiral, by talking about killing the Moon."

Zhao didn't look too concerned.

"Well," sighed Zhao, "I suppose Shen Si Ling will see just how easy it is to kill a spirit in mortal form. Then if something should happen to interfere with my mission"—he approached me with a cruel smile—"I guess I'll kill Shen Si Ling's mortal form as well."

I stared at him.

"You wouldn't dare…" I hissed, glaring at him.

Iroh pulled me away from him to stop a fight.

"Mura is still upset, Admiral," said Iroh gently. "Keep in mind that Prince Zuko was killed."

Zhao nodded.

"I suppose the death of a…_boyfriend…_would make a telekinetic angry at me."

"Why don't you try to Firebend at me," I challenged foolishly. "Then you can see just how angry I am at you."

Zhao smiled, apparently amused.

"She's quite lovely," he muttered then he turned to observe the cause. Iroh set me away from Zhao under the roof of an open cabin. He blocked my view from the battle field, attempting to keep whatever patience that I still had under lock and key.

"I know that you're fighting her," said Iroh appreciatively, "but—"

"This is _wrong_, Iroh," I emphasized again. "This is not meant to happen. He'll kill the Moon Spirit. Iroh, I can feel it; she's getting angrier by the minute. If he does this—if he kills her, I don't know what I'll do…_seriously_."

"Just get a hold of yourself!" said Iroh. "And don't challenge Zhao. That was a foolish thing to say. You should count yourself lucky."

"I _want_ him to attack me," I hissed. "Then at least my conscience is clear. Come on, you really don't think he should _live_, do you?"

"_Mura._"

"What? It can't be wrong; or else this Mind Spirit wouldn't be giving me a headache and make me feel like I want to throw up in my mouth…"

Afternoon passed. Evening passed. And then the full moon rose again. The war continued over the beleaguered Water City. Fire balls blasted the residential section in front of a citadel. The secondary wall had been fully compromised and the Fire Nation troops and tanks poured through like a red and yellow ocean. Water Tribe citizens ran through the smoking streets as tanks smashed through everything in their path. The Waterbenders fought back, drawing power from the moon. Although the defense was neat and quick, what brought my attention to the battlefield was a Waterbender who squared off alone against three tanks; he shredded each tank with jets of ice. He crippled the Fire Nation soldiers who surrounded him, encasing them all in blocks of ice. As more approached him, he raised a water tornado, much like Aang back in the South Pole. He rode at the pinnacle of the tornado and brushed aside the fire bolts of the Fire Nation troops and threw sheets of ice at the soldiers.

Zhao ordered for us to saddle war rhinos. We entered the fray. Zhao held a map to the Spirit Oasis, where the Moon and Water Spirits resided. A massive tank was thrown in front of us and landed in the snow.

Zhao turned to me as I hoisted myself over the back of a rhino.

"If you deter my way, I'll see to it that I end you myself."

I frowned at him.

Zhao turned to his men on his mount,

"We'll be following this map to a very special location. And when we get there, we're going fishing."

"Admiral," I said, trying to muster the patience that I still had, "I _implore_ you to stop right now, while you're ahead."

"Noted," he snapped at me.

I shook my head irritably. He looked at me sternly.

"Clear the way, Mura."

"Commander…_Commander_ Mura," I muttered tiredly. I pulled the reins of my rhino, which grunted as I pulled him to the front line in front of Zhao.

If I didn't protect Zhao, I was targeted from behind and in front of me. The Water Tribe didn't know that I was actually rooting for them. Even if they did, I didn't have a choice. If I didn't throw people out of my way, I would be hit by snow or ice. And if I left my post, Zhao would Firebend, and I wouldn't have time to dodge. So I followed orders, much to my discontent.

As we charged to the oasis, I flung bodies out of my way: some landed in unoccupied territory, out of the way; others weren't so lucky. Zhao stayed directly behind my rhino as he instructed to me the directions to the Spirit Oasis. We were at a dead end, in front of a wall. I dismounted my rhino; Zhao and his soldiers followed suit.

"This says that it should be _right_ here," said Zhao, suddenly frustrated.

"If it's blocked, it means we shouldn't be inside," I told him coarsely.

He grunted irritably and pushed me aside. I gasped when I fell into the cold snow. He lit a fire in his hands and melted the snowy blockade. It melted on contact. My eyes widened as I saw the beautiful patch of grass, surrounded by a steady stream of water. What was more stunning was that the air was warm.

A fellow Fire Nation soldier helped me to my feet. We entered after Zhao, who didn't waste time observing the new surroundings. He reached for my hand and roughly dragged me to the middle of the oasis. Inside the small pool, the koi fish swam together in an eternal dance, Tui and La: push and pull, yin and yang.

"Zhao," I said, prying his hand off my arm, "you've found them. They're innocent animals. Let them be."

"And stomp all this effort into the ground?" he said. "You're insane."

Zhao reached for the white fish.

"Zhao, no! No, you can't—"

Even as I tried to stop him, tried to stop his hands from grabbing the Moon, he whipped around and smacked me hard in the face.

"Get off me, witch!" he said roughly.

Behind me, the Fire Nation soldiers glanced at each other uncertainly. My right cheek burned. Zhao took out a bag and gathered the white fish into it. My mind buzzed, and I suddenly felt weakened. Above us, the moon turned into a bloody red. I glanced at the pool helplessly to see that Tui, the Water Spirit, circled frantically in his home, searching for his lost companion.

"I am," said Zhao boastfully, as he had fulfilled his dream, "a legend now! The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the great Zhao who darkened the moon! They will call me Zhao the Conqueror! Zhao the Moon Slayer! ZHAO THE INVINCIBLE!"

I crawled to my feet.

"Let it go," I said, staggering. "You can't kill her, Zhao. She's a Spirit, a part of us. A part of you and me. Let it go."

I gestured, and the bag struggled in his hand. He glanced at me, then the bag, then back at me. He chuckled as the opening of the bag trembled in his hand.

"You're trying to use your powers on me, Mura? I guess you seem to forget that your concentration suffers greatly when you're in pain." His hand ceased my throat. "I'll kill this Spirit; and then I will kill yours, _Commander_ Mura—AH!"

His hand released me as a flying lemur attacked his face. I fell to the ground, gasping for air.

"Get it off! Get it off!" Zhao cried out.

The lemur flew off as the guards surrounded Zhao to help him. The lemur landed on an outstretched arm—Aang's arm. Appa, the flying bison, landed and his riders slid off its back. Sokka, Katara, and Aang squared off against Zhao and his men. The princess of the Water City, Yue, hid behind Sokka, frightened.

Sokka and Katara glanced down at me only momentarily. The confusion was settled in a matter of a minute when I tried to get up, and Zhao kicked me hard in the stomach.

"Don't bother," he said to me, then turned to look up at Aang. He held a knife in his free hand; he extended it the bag where the Moon Spirit fought against her prison.

"Zhao! Don't!" Aang cried out; he dropped his staff and raised his hands in surrender.

"It's my destiny…to destroy the moon…and the Water Tribe."

"Destroying the moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone—including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."

Zhao shook his head.

"How would a twelve-year-old boy know this?" he scoffed. He looked down at me. "Is there where you're getting your 'balance' garb, Mura?"

"It's not garbage," I whimpered, holding my stomach, writing in pain. "It's…ugh…It's the truth, you stupid man." I rolled away from him and struggled to my feet. "The Avatar is…the bridge to the Spirit World…He knows these things…_Idiot._"

"The Avatar is right, Zhao!"

I looked up in some surprise, but relief.

Iroh came into view, pulling down his hood.

"The Avatar and Mura both have links to the Spirit World. They speak the truth."

Aang, Sokka, and Katara glanced at me, perplexed.

Zhao looked at Iroh.

"General Iroh," he said in a bored, lecturing tone, "Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery? It shouldn't, considering the fact that you mentor this _witch_."

"I'm not a _witch_!" I yelled angrily, but even the effort in speaking seemed to gut me in the stomach.

Iroh stepped toward Zhao.

"I'm no traitor, Zhao; but Mura has been right all along. The Fire Nation needs the moon too. We all, even Mura, depend on the balance."

Zhao looked at the bag in his hand.

Iroh pointed a finger at him and thundered,

"Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you ten-fold!" He assumed the Firebending stance, "LET IT GO, NOW!"

Iroh and Zhao locked eyes for a moment. Zhao faltered, lowering the bag. He knelt and released the fish back into the water. The bloody moon in the sky vanished and faded back it normal color. I felt relief: no pain in my head or stomach, aside from infliction that Zhao had caused me from my beating.

Then horror flashed before my eyes as Zhao was quickly overtaken by a look of madness and desperation; with a cry of rage, he stood and struck the water with a blast of fire.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

For a moment, I had no idea who screamed. I fell to the ground as sudden agony seared through my skull; and the sensation of someone stabbing me in the stomach with a knife swept through me repeatedly. I realized that the person that uttered such bone-chilling screams, the shrieks that pierced the gloomy darkness of the night…

Was me.

Around me, fire surged as Iroh took out the combatants; a retreating figure scurried out of the oasis. Zhao had left, horrified. I clung to the ground for breath, panting as the stabbing continued in my torso, and my mind throbbed with a ringing.

Then the screaming stopped.

The Water City princess cried.

"It's dead…It's over."

I rolled on my back to see that the Avatar stepped into the water. His tattoos and eyes glowed white.

"No," said Aang; his voice was deep and other-worldly. "It's not over."

Aang's body stood in the middle of the pond, arms in prayer. He looked down at the black fish, whose eyes and white mark on his spine began to glow white. Then Aang body dropped into the pond as if the bottom had fallen out of it.

Iroh helped me to my feet.

A monster pulled out of the oasis, wrapped in a huge, incandescent blue water wave. As it towered over the city, I looked up to see the shining middle, and it was the Avatar. We all held the look of wonder at the awesome power that came to life before us. The Water Spirit, a huge Water Iguana, spread its arms wide. Katara, Sokka, Iroh, and I felt to our knees, and bowed to Tui. It passed us and entered the fray.

I glanced at Iroh.

"I'm going to find Zuko," I whispered.

He was somewhere in the city if the Avatar had come back. As I scoured the city, looking for Prince Zuko, I watched the Avatar wash away the Fire Nation troops in the center. The Waterbenders bowed; the Fire Nation troops did not. As I ran through the city, I saw Zhao fleeing over a foot bridge. He exited onto a parapet. I jumped off the side of the icy street and landed in front of him. He turned to see me.

"I suppose I'll just do what I promised." Zhao said with a large smile

He raised a fist, but before he could hurt me again, a blast of fire smacked the wall behind him. Zhao pulled back away from as if I had learned a new power. We looked behind me.

Zuko stood on the wall on the tier above us.

Zhao's face was stunned.

"You're alive?" he said incredulously.

"You tried to have me _killed!_"

Zuko launched a few fire blasts at Zhao with a cry of anguish; Zhao dodged, rolling along the parapet wall.

"Yes," said Zhao with much venom. "I did. You're the Blue Spirit—an enemy to the Fire Nation."

"You freed the Avatar!"

"I had no choice!" Zuko replied, as he continued to attack. Zhao broke the fire volley with his hands held together in a wedge in front of him.

"You should have chosen to accept your failure—your disgrace! Then, at least, you could have lived!"

Zhao returned fire. They traded volleys back and forth in the darkness. Zhao kicked him in the shin, and Zuko dropped to the ground. He side-stepped Zuko and came at me.

"As for your pretty girlfriend, she's too weak to stop me; you can watch her gasp for air." Zhao's hand ceased my throat so fast that I didn't have enough time to get out of the way. He smirked at me as he lifted me off the ground. "_Where's your spirit now, Mura?"_

Zuko appeared behind him; he exploited a shot as Zhao left his chest unguarded. Zuko blew him off the parapet wall onto the tier below; Zhao pulled me down with him. As we fell to the stony ice, Zhao knelt beside my fallen body and returned his grip on me.

Zuko flipped over Zhao's back, and with him, he took my strangler by the nape of his armor and sent him flying into a building. I gasped for hair. Zuko's face was racked with anger. They traded blows.

Then suddenly, the darkness disappeared. I looked up to see that the moon was back in her place.

Zhao's voice dropped in horror,

"No, it can't be!"

The stabbing in my brain peeled off. The familiar surge in my stomach crept to the top of my mouth without a fight. And I stood in front of Zuko, refreshed with new anger. Zuko's eyes widened as Zhao's body was lifted into the air and he struggled against and invisible force.

"W—What…" Zhao gasped in between words. "What…What's going—on?"

I clenched my fist, and Zhao cried out in pain.

A voice that didn't match mine said angrily,

"You murdered the Moon Spirit. Now you will pay the ultimate price!"

Zhao's face turned blue.

However, my forces relinquished as quick as they strengthened. As Zhao fell to the ground, gasping for breath, I turned to see what had distracted the other-worldly form that had possessed me.

A glowing blue followed the trail of the river beneath the bridge, the same bridge that Zhao and I were standing on. I stepped back as a giant hand rose out of the water…

"Tui…" I muttered in realization.

It grabbed Zhao and pulled off the bridge. Zuko ran to the edge and offered a rescue,

"Zhao, take my hand!"

To my astonishment, Zhao tried to reach for it for a moment, but then he draw back, an expression of hate on his face. The Ocean Spirit dragged Zhao under the surface and disappeared. Zuko looked down at the water, expressionless.

I approached him, exhausted.

"Zuko…"

He turned to me.

"What happened…to you?" he asked, indicating my bruises on my face. I could practically feel them.

"Zhao…" I said.

It didn't need further explanation.

We scoured the city for Iroh, who had found a raft of driftwood from the sunken ruins of the Fire Nation vessels. We left the Water City. For a moment, Zuko, Iroh, and I said nothing.

"I'm surprised, Prince Zuko," said Iroh calmly. "I'm surprised that you are not at this moment trying to capture the Avatar."

"I'm tired."

Iroh placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"Then you should rest. A man needs his rest."

As Zuko lied down on the driftwood, I sat down beside him. I looked up at General Iroh.

"How exactly did the Moon come back?" I asked softly.

"The princess was touched by the Moon Spirit. She was given life when she was little." Iroh sounded admirable. "She gave it back."

Iroh asked about Zhao. I told him what happened. Iroh didn't seem to chastise me about it. It was the work of Shen Si Ling, but…now that I think about it…I'm pretty sure that Shen Si Ling only gave me the idea to strangle Admiral Zhao. He taunted me, and then he beat me. If I am guilty for acts of attempted murder, then I am guilty for that.

Well, I suppose that was the end of an era that Zuko, Iroh, and I were recognized as soldiers. This was around the time where Fire Lord Ozai decided that Iroh was a traitor and that Zuko was a failure. In order to find us, Ozai put Azula in charge of arresting us, but we didn't know this at the time.

I guess I'll tell the second part of my tale in the next part of trial…

A/N _This is the end of the 'Highest Bidder I'. I will message the reviewers when the sequel 'Highest Bidder II" is up. :) Thanks for reading. And please, review._


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